We're Married?
by elliot.and.jd.4eva1
Summary: Bella goes on a field trip and wake up married to vampire edward cullen! written for field trip of love contest.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone! This story is an entry into the field trip of love competition, held by **Alicia Vampire101. **I know that I have been somewhat neglecting, 'What if things were different?' but it will be updated, I swear. **

**Disclaimer: all recognisable characters or plot etc belongs to S, Meyer. I promise!**

**Enjoy!**

**Prologue**

BPOV

_I heard the words and understood what they meant. I couldn't believe them though. Edward, my Edward, I couldn't believe such things of him. I looked over at him, expecting him to be outraged at the preposterous things that were being said. However, his head was hung low, conveying his absolute guilt. I felt my world come tumbling down around me. I did my best to keep the tears at bay. I would not cry, not here. Not in front of these… these… monsters! I was nothing but a toy. I had to get away, now. So I could privately crawl into a hole and die. Then Edward said something that made me pause. 'I'm so sorry, Bella. I never meant to hurt you.' That made me angry. He didn't mean to hurt me? Then why did he do it?! I started towards him, and he looked upwards, hopeful. I stepped right up to him and growled, 'You never meant to hurt me? YOU NEVER MEANT TO HURT ME! IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER, EDWARD! WELL, IS IT? Why did you do it! WELL?! WHY! WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU?' I poked him in the chest as hard as I could, though it hurt me more than him. I couldn't hurt him, I was a mere human. He was a vampire. I had thought he was different, that he wouldn't hurt me. I had obviously been wrong. 'You wanted to get rid of me Edward? You wanted it so badly?' At this point my traitorous eyes began to leak. I injected extra venom into my voice to make up for this fact. 'Well, you don't have to worry about that any more. I'm going. You've gotten rid of me. Congratulations!' My voice broke on the last syllable, humiliating me even more. My sight was completely obstructed by this point due to the tears. I turned and blindly ran, fleeing. I didn't care where I went, as long as it was far away from HIM! Suddenly, I tripped. I rolled into a ball and sobbed as my heart split into a million pieces. My entire being floating away. Then, the darkness descended and... there was nothing._

BPOV

I rested my head against the cool pane of glass; attempting in vain to stave off the wave of motion-sickness I could sense overcoming me. This bus was ancient, why in God's name was it still running? Every tiny little bump in the road sent it shuddering and caused my bones to jump around inside my body and my stomach to constantly turn. I hoped that we would be there soon.

I closed my eyes and attempted to picture the blue, clear skies of Phoenix, Arizona. What had, until very recently been my home. However, now my home was Forks. Gloomy, wet, dreary Forks. Long story short. My parents were divorced, and so I had lived with my mother. Then, she remarried. To Phil. He was a baseball player and so travelled a lot. She was unhappy being away from him, so I volunteered to come and live with Charlie, my father. In Forks. It made my mother happy, if she didn't have to stay with me, she could be with Phil. So that was how I ended up in Forks. I arrived only yesterday, and was told of a junior class field trip the next day, i.e. today. I didn't particularly want to come. But Charlie insisted, he said it would give me the chance to make some friends. So I was forced to come.

Oh, god! The nausea was worsening. How come nobody else was being affected like I was? Were they simply used to bus-rides such as this? It seemed that the girl sitting beside me was. She was having an extremely animated one sided conversation with me. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about and hadn't said one word to encourage communication. I think that her name was Jennifer or Jessica or something. I didn't particularly care, to be quite honest. I put my head between my knees and groaned. Please, please, please let us be close to where we were going! Ironically, just as I was thinking this, the ancient contraption ground to a sudden stop. Oh, thank god!

I jumped up, pushed past the girl beside me, whatever her name was, rushed up the aisle and jumped out the door. Air, ground, thank god! The other students were slowly climbing from the bus and shooting me strange looks. We were in Seattle for a day of fun. Their words, not mine. I was looking forward to browsing some bookshops. The teachers called our attention. Much to my surprise, they said that as long as we didn't wander off on our own, we could spend the day doing whatever we liked. We just had to make sure we were back before 7 pm. Because that was when the bus would leave and apparently, they would not wait.

Jessica, I think, suddenly grabbed my arm and dragged me into a seemingly random clothes shop. I did not want to spend my day clothes shopping! I didn't even know her. I knew that she was simply trying to welcome me, or I think that was what she was trying to do. But I wanted to go and look at books. After a short while I was able to escape. I quickly found a large bookstore. I stepped into the door and breathed in deeply. I loved the smell of the books. I began to wonder around, browsing the different titles. I must have spent hours browsing the books. I was still not ready to leave though. I was sitting down when someone came up to me and began to speak. 'Hello, Bella,' spoke a soft, velvety voice. What, how did he know my name? I looked up sharply; he could not hurt me in a bookshop, could he? Though we were in a quite private section. How would I defend myself? All thoughts of self-defence left my mind as I looked up at his face. It was not possible to be that good looking. It was not fair. His skin was alabaster and seemed to be constructed from marble. Each feature was perfectly defined. His smile was crooked but left my knees weak. His hair was a mess of auburn curls atop his head. I ached to run my fingers through it. Stop, Bella, I chastened myself. Now answer him, before he thinks that you are mentally impaired. It didn't seem that the thought had crossed his mind however, his grin simply brightened. It was almost as if he could hear my heart hammering in my chest, it wasn't that loud was it? Of course not. Calm down, Bella.

'My name is Edward Cullen. I too attend Forks High school.' He offered his hand for me to shake. 'I'm Bella,' I replied. 'But you knew that.' Nice one, Bella. This however, did not seem to deter him. 'What are you reading there? Wuthering Heights?' But he didn't say it like most people my age did. Not in the condescending, why are you reading THAT, manner. But like he was actually interested. It was a refreshing difference. 'Well, my old copy has been read so many times it has completely fallen apart, so I have to buy a new copy.' He smiled down at me full force and I had to make a conscious effort not to completely melt. His teeth were so white and shiny. He was perfect.

We spent hours talking, getting to know each other. It was completely surreal. I had never connected with another human being on such a deep level. We were told that the shop was closing and so had to leave. So we went to the coffee shop across the road to continue our conversation. I glanced at my watch and realised that we only had ten minutes to get back to the bus before it left. I mentioned this to Edward. He stood up and went to pay. Then, things turned hazy.

I woke up with a splitting headache in an unfamiliar room. My vision was fuzzy and I felt like getting sick. I couldn't remember what happened last night. There was the coffee shop, and then nothing. Light was streaming in the windows. I'd missed the bus for sure. Charlie was going to kill me! What was I doing here? I took in my surroundings. I was in a hotel room? Not good, not good! Please don't be naked, please don't be naked. I looked down at myself with one eye closed. No such luck! I suddenly tuned into the fact that the shower was running. Oh, god. Who was it? Edward! The water shut off without warning and sure enough, Edward came out, dripping wet. He looked like a god. Why would he want me? I paled in comparison. I would have asked if anything happened, but I refused to insult either of our intelligence. It was obvious that it had. Our clothes were strewn haphazardly around the room. He looked about as awkward as I felt. I pulled the cover tight around myself. Why, I did not know. He had seen it already, and more. And I couldn't even remember it. Something on my finger caught my eye. It was a diamond ring. No, no, no, no! 'E-e-ed-dwar-ward', I stammered. 'Are we, uh....?' He cut me short. 'Yes, Bella,' he answered, 'we're married.'

* * *

**What did you think? Review and let me know! 10 reviews= next chapter.**

**Visit my blog for sneak peeks on my stories etc.**

**http://elliotandjd4eva1sblog****(dot)blogspot(dot)com/**

**Xxx**

**Kate**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Mrs. Meyer. May I please, please, please, please own twilight? Please! **

**SM: Hmm let me think for a moment. Umm, NO!**

**Me: MEANIE!**

**Me: Can I at least have a certain sparkly vampire? *hopefully expectant***

**SM: Okay. **

**Me: Really?!**

**SM: No, he's mine too!**

**Me: You're not nice! **

**See, there you have it. I don't own twilight. I grovelled juvenilely, but alas, she was adamant. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**** I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, added me to their favourites, story alerts, etc. You're all the best!**

BPOV

'We're married?' I repeated. This could not be happening. It made absolutely no sense. This was the kind of thing that happened in bad, low-budget teen movies. Why was Edward so calm? 'We can't be married. You're lying!' I accused. We barely knew each other. Oh my god, I can't believe that I lost my virginity to a complete stranger. The thought made me want to cry. I tried to stave off the tears and summon some kind of anger. I couldn't remember anything. He must have put something in my drink and taken advantage of me. If I was completely honest with myself, I knew that the notion was ridiculous and unreasonable. But I didn't care. I needed to blame someone, so I could attempt to get my head around the idea. 'IT'S YOUR FAULT. YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME. I HATE YOU!' I shouted. I then proceeded to storm into the bathroom and slam the door. I wasn't completely sure, but I thought that I heard him laughing softly at me.

Apparently, Edward had driven his car to Seattle. Which would explain why I had not seen him before the bookstore. He wasn't exactly someone you would forget. For some reason, the fact that he had brought his car bothered me. It was like he had known beforehand that he would need it. I tried to shake off such thoughts. He opened my door for me in a chivalrous fashion, while I simply glared at him. I was acting childish, I knew, but I couldn't seem to stop myself. I hadn't spoken to him since my storming into the bathroom. I had pretty much ruled out the option of him having slipped me something. He didn't seem the type. Besides, he wouldn't have had the opportunity. But why could I not remember anything?

I was sitting dejectedly, staring out the window at the passing scenery, seeing nothing, when Edward began to speak. 'So, Bella. What do you want to talk about?' Was he serious? What did he think I wanted to talk about? I simply glared at him and he seemed to get my meaning. 'Oh, you want to talk about last night.' He waited for my response, and when he received none, he continued. 'Well, I don't really remember all that much. But what I do remember is this. We were in the coffee shop; you told me that you had to go back to the bus so you wouldn't miss it. We rushed to get back, but it was too late. So I offered to drop you home myself and you agreed. You said that you wanted to go get a drink first. I wasn't too sure, but you insisted. We went to the nearest pub and you began to drink. I only had a little, but I never held my drink well. It is apparent now that neither do you. That's all I remember. After that, everything turns fuzzy.' That did not sound like me, but as much as I wanted to disbelieve him, I could not bring myself to. His dizzying smile was out full-force. Why could I not remember anything? It made no sense. He continued to smile down at me and squeezed my hand. My legs turned to jelly and the perpetual scowl on my face melted away. God, he was truly breathtaking.

I spent the remainder of the drive back to Forks contemplating how much my life had changed in just a few short hours. It was simply remarkable. I was married. Married. To a god. Why had he married me? Yes, he had said that he didn't remember it, and was probably, more than likely, incoherent at the time. However, he hadn't seemed completely disgusted at the fact that he had woken up next to someone like me. He actually seemed to like me. Me, plain old Bella. Was he insane?

We arrived in Forks and the panic began to settle in. Charlie! What would he say when he found out that I had married someone within hours of meeting them. At my age! Renee! She'd be even worse. She'd spent my whole life preaching the faults of marriage to me. What about the fact that I was married to, essentially, a stranger? I had known him for mere hours. The gossip we would be forced to endure! I could tell even from my short time at Forks that not a lot happened. And when it did, it was talked to death, and then a bit more for good measure. How long would a divorce take? Long enough that everyone would know, that's for sure.

I turned to Edward and asked him if he had considered any of this. He spent a while mulling it over and finally answered. We had arrived at my house by this point. I got out of the car and waited impatiently. 'Maybe I don't want a divorce. I'll pick you up for school tomorrow.' Then he simply drove off. Great. I'd married someone insane. Could things get any worse? The heavens then proceeded to open. I shouldn't have asked. I ran inside and attempted to prepare myself for Charlie's interrogation as to my whereabouts last night. I warily entered the kitchen to find a note on the table.

_Bella, _

_Gone fishing. Hope you enjoy Seattle. Stay safe. Back in two days. _

_Love, _

_Dad_

He must have left it yesterday morning and I never saw it. Oh, thank god! I could hide the whole marriage thing from him for a little while longer. Not much, but a little. Today was Sunday. Tomorrow was Monday, which meant school. And questions as to why I was not on the bus on the way back. They would be easy enough to answer. I'd simply say that I had missed the bus and Edward had given me a lift. Which was technically true, with the omission of the marriage in between. Ugh, why had this happened to me? I was completely incapable of coping with it. I tired to busy myself, take my mind off _my_ _husband._ How could I have a husband, it was ridiculous. It was a dream, that was it! This was all a dream; I would wake up in a cold sweat and feel relief at the fact that I was still unmarried. I closed my eyes and pinched myself. When I opened them, I was still standing in the same spot. However, I was unwilling to give up hope just yet. Then the phone rang. For some reason, this unnerved me. I answered it warily. 'Swan residence.' 'Hello, Bella. I know that I said I'd see you tomorrow, but is it okay if I come over?' I would recognise that velvety voice anywhere, my dear, darling husband. It was as if he had known the lines along which my thoughts were travelling, and had called to simply dash my hopes. 'Fine.' I said through gritted teeth.

He knocked on the door just minutes later. I opened it and there he was in all his glory. He seriously looked just like an angel. 'May I come in?' he asked politely. 'Of course,' I replied sarcastically, 'you are my husband after all.' I was acting like a brat, I knew, but cut me some slack. He didn't seem to take offence at my rude comment though, and simply stepped inside. 'Well,' I demanded. 'Why are you here? What do you want?' 'I am your husband, am I not,' he replied. 'Do I need a reason to visit my wife besides wanting her company?' What was his game? I sighed in defeat. 'Do you want to watch some television or a movie or something?' I asked. 'I would love to.' He replied. We ended up watching Scrubs. It was a good episode, but really which one was not. I was laughing at the comic genius that was the TV show when I sensed Edward looking intently at me. He had somehow slipped closer to me without my knowledge. I was startled at his sheer proximity. 'You're beautiful when you laugh, do you know that?' he breathed. My heart began to beat rapidly in my chest. I felt faint. His crooked, heart-breaking smile returned. Thank god I was sitting down, my legs were now useless. Unfortunately I slumped slightly. However, Edward caught me. The feel of his arms around me was…indescribable. Amazing, exhilarating, so many adjectives that didn't even come close. His face moved closer to mine. My lips parted of their own accord and my lids closed. My heart was hammering against my ribcage and I could've sworn that he could hear it, it was so loud. I had expected the sensation of his lips on mine, but I never received it. I opened my eyes in confusion. For a second, I thought I saw a pained expression flicker across his face, but it was gone so quickly I could not be sure. By the time I had blinked, his face wore an easy expression yet again and he abruptly changed the subject. I felt rejection rush over me. I repulsed him.

For the rest of his stay, I fought off tears. Of course I repulsed him. He was a god, whereas I was plain Jane. The conversation had turned to hobbies and interests and general things that normal couples learned about one another before marriage. Were we a couple? I guess so, we were married after all. He was perfect. A gentleman, funny, kind, beautiful. Perfect. By the time he left, it was dark. And I didn't want him to leave. Pathetic. I walked him to the door and thought that he would simply leave. However, he did not. He looked down at me intently, his eyes searching. 'What's wrong?' he asked. 'You're upset. Have I done something wrong?' How had he known? My thoughts took a complete 180 and I simply wanted him to leave. I didn't want him to see the tears that were glistening just below the surface of my eye-lids. If he didn't leave soon, I would be unable to hold them back and the flood gates would open. On second thought, this would probably happen even if he did leave. Though at least then he would not see them.

Of course, no such luck. I felt my chin being tugged up by his unusually cool fingers. My eyes were immediately drawn to his. Twin pools of gold that were darkening somewhat. I lost myself in the mesmerising orbs. I did not notice how we were gravitating closer to one another. It seemed unstoppable, like the sea toward the moon. Then, he spoke. 'What's wrong, Bella?' Suddenly, I burst into tears. It was unreasonable, I knew. But I'd thought he was different. Apparently, I was wrong. Now, I was embarrassing myself in front of him. And I'd thought he was insane. The thought made me smile sadly. I felt his arms wrap around me. Like he actually cared. I did not know why he was affecting me so much. It must be my period, I reasoned. It's coming up, making me emotional. 'Bella,' he sounded panicked. 'What's wrong?! Please tell me!' he pleaded. 'Do.. I … re-repulse .. y-you?' I questioned through my sobs. He looked at me uncomprehendingly, as if I had just said I was a Martian in some strange, foreign, alien language. Then he kissed me.

Not deeply, or for very long, but it was…amazing. There were no other words for it. There was affection in the kiss. And withheld passion. As if he were afraid he would hurt me. His lips released mine and he smiled at me yet again. I liked to think that the smile was just for me, as crazy as that sounded. 'You do not repulse me, Bella. Quite the opposite, actually. I'm still deciding whether or not that is a good thing.' What was that supposed to mean? He was so cryptic at times. Then he kissed me once more, lightly, on the lips and left.

As I readied myself for bed, I continuously touched my lips. Could it really have happened, or was I truly insane enough to be hallucinating? No, my imagination was incapable of creating such a perfect character as Edward. I snuggled down into bed and pictured his face in my mind. _My husband, Edward._ The thought brought a smile to my lips. It sounded right. It felt right. I couldn't wait for him to pick me up. I then went on to have sickeningly sweet and sappy dreams about Edward and I. I enjoyed every last second of them.

I woke up feeling more refreshed than I had felt in a long time. I thought of Edward coming to collect me and felt my mouth curve into a wide grin. I rushed to get dressed and ready for school. However, I made more of an effort than I usually would have on my appearance. I was unsurprised to see Edward standing outside by his silver Volvo as soon as I exited the door. He seemed to have an uncanny ability to know exactly when to show up. It was almost as if he could read minds. It seemed that the extra effort this morning had paid off. His eyes trailed appreciatively up and down my form, and I could distinctly see his eyes darkening. I wasn't certain, but I thought that I saw him lick his lips. Good god, was he trying to kill me? Of course, he looked criminally good. Unfairly so. He stood up from the car and I admired how tall he really was. Well over six feet. He came over to me and bent down to plant a chaste kiss upon my lips. It sent shivers up and down my spine. He opened the door for me and I got in. On the way to school, we held hands and spoke about inane things. Though he seemed distracted, troubled even. I asked him about it, but he simply denied it. I decided that it would be best to leave him alone. We arrived at the school and he turned to me with **my** smile on his face. He got out and proceeded to open my door. I got out and he put his arm around my shoulders.

This received many stares, but Edward made them easy to ignore. 'It's time to introduce you to my family,' he said. He had told me of his brothers and sisters, who also attended this school. They were not related by blood and adopted by Doctor and Mrs. Cullen. Apparently, the other four were all 'together'. None of them had been in on Friday. They had gone hunting with their adoptive parents. Obviously, they were campers. I was quite wary of meeting them, to be quite honest. What if they didn't like me? Edward could see that I was nervous and reassured me. 'Don't worry,' he said. 'They'll love you.' I was in trouble. I was married to Edward. As if that wasn't bad enough, now I was falling for him, hard. I was a fool.

We reached them and the knot in my stomach tightened. Suddenly, I felt a miraculous wave of calm rush over me. How peculiar. 'So, Bella. Firstly, this is Alice, my adoptive sister. And her boyfriend, Jasper.' He pointed to a petite, pixie-like girl with spiky black hair. She smiled at me kindly, but there was an underlying current of sympathy in her expression. 'Hello, Bella.' She seemed to shake off whatever had been bothering her and started to bounce around like a fairy hyped up on crack. Ohkay. Her boyfriend, jasper, was extremely tall with blonde hair. His expression was impassive and he nodded at me in acknowledgement. 'This is Emmett. And his girlfriend, Rosalie.' Emmett reminded me somewhat of an overly sized teddy-bear. He was absolutely huge and rippling with muscles. But his face held a kind and childlike expression. He was grinning goofily and boomed, 'Great to meet you, Bella. Good to see Eddie-boy here getting some action.' Edward shot him a warning glance, which seemed to have a deeper meaning which I could not decipher. They continued to shoot each other glances, as of they were somehow having a silent conversation. Rosalie was a statuesque blonde. She was beautiful, to say the least. Simply being in the same room as her would bruise a girl's ego. She sneered at me superiorly, as if she knew something that I did not and was better than me for it. She seemed like a stuck-up bitch to be quite honest. 'Hello,' she said indifferently, as she flipped her hair carelessly. I wonder of they knew of Edward and my nuptials. 'Oh yeah,' Emmett began, 'Welcome to the family, Bella. I have a feeling that we'll have great fun.' His eyes twinkled. I guess that was yes then. Thankfully, nobody but us heard him. I was not ready for **that** quite yet. Edward and I bade his family adieu and set off for class. Apparently, we shared identical timetables. How convenient.

**Well, what did you think? I would've made it longer, but I'm really tired, and sick. Did you like it? Hate it? Indifferent about the whole thing? Still confused about what's going on, or are you getting an idea? Should I reveal all next chapter with an EPOV or build up to a dramatic climax when their relationship has evolved more? Visit my blog for sneak peeks etc. It doesn't seem that anyone is. So first person to follow or add a comment gets a sneak peek of next chapter! Here's the link: ****http://elliotandjd4eva1sblog(dot)blogspot(dot)com/**** just replace (dot) with . Go check out my other stories too. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. 20 reviews = next chapter. I was surprised at how fast I got them last time and would like to thank everyone who reviewed, added me to their favourites, story alerts, etc. You're all the best! Imaginary Edwards to you all!**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Kate.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Me****: Umm, Mrs. Meyer. **

**SM: What is it? Oh, you again. **

**Me: Can I please, please own Twilight now? PLEASE!!!!**

**SM: Security!**

**Me:*being dragged away by burly guards* NO!!!!!**

**Still don't own it. Maybe next chapter. **

**I'm still sick, but I'm updating. I didn't get the 20 reviews, but im updating. I only got six, actually. Thanks to all who did review! Or story alert, author alert, etc. Imaginary Edwards to you all! However, when you've read the epov of this chapter you may not want them. Just a warning. Need to update what if things were different? I know. I've got a bit of writers block with it though. And loads of ideas for this story. Will update ASAP though.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

BPOV

We arrived at our first class of the day and were met with overly inquisitive stares. I guess that it wasn't all that unreasonable. I had only started school last Friday and I now had the arm of the best looking boy in school around me. The whispers began almost immediately. _'What is he doing with her??' 'She's so plain!!' 'Why her?!' 'All the girls drool over him!' 'It's not fair!'_ Edward easily ignored the loud whispers and steered me to a desk which he sat at with me. It was strange; I'd never had so much attention focused on me at one time before. I guess that Edward was used to it though. He had to have been. He was beautiful and exactly the kind of person who would forever be subjected to attention. Maybe he enjoyed it, maybe he didn't. If I had to bet, I would go with the latter. He was sat with his jaw clenched. His body still as marble. Immovable as a mountain. The whispers surrounded us like a shroud. I couldn't wait for the teacher to arrive. Maybe then Edward would allow some of the tension in his shoulders to dissipate. This brought a thought to mind, but was I brave enough to attempt it? I decided that it was worth it, if it worked. How would he react? In my mind it seemed like a harmless enough gesture, but Edward may view it as an invasion of his personal space.

I shifted my chair slightly back and shifted over somewhat. I braced myself and took a deep breath. The students in the class were looking on in interest. Had they no lives whatsoever? I placed my hands on Edward's shoulders, he seemed to tense even more. I hadn't known that this was possible. I began to knead his shoulders softly, to release some tension. The peculiar thing was that his shoulders didn't give, at all. Even the most muscled shoulders in the world should soften somewhat at being kneaded, should they not? He did seem to relax though. His posture became less stiff. Maybe I ad imagined it. Then the teacher walked in and I was forced to move away from Edward's shoulders. He smiled down at me and my knees buckled. 'Thank you, Bella,' he mouthed. I barely registered what he had said; I was too busy staring at the movement the words had caused his lips to make. How bad would it be if I were to jump on top of him in the middle of class, really?

The rest of the day was spent much the same. Stares, whispers and all around rudeness. You'd think that they would at least attempt to covert about it. At one stage of the day I was without Edward. He had been adamant that we stay together. I couldn't quite understand it, but I wasn't complaining. I was in the bathroom, in the process of washing and drying my hands, when I was cornered. It was, there was no other word for it, terrifying. There were five of them, but I only recognised two. One was the girl I had sat next to on the bus, Jessica I think. The other was Lauren, a snooty girl Jessica had introduced me to. I had no idea about the names of the rest. I didn't think that they had any intention of making introductions, either. 'Hey, guys,' I said nervously. However, they didn't think that the social niceties were necessary, apparently. Lauren stepped right up, right in my face. Her features were twisted into an ugly snarl. She poked her finger into my chest and growled, 'You! Who the hell do you think you are?! You come here from Arizona and within a few days of your arrival, you steal MY man from right under my nose. You bitch!' Edward had been dating Lauren? 'Well,' she continued, 'He would've been. I have no idea what's so special about you!' As she said this, her lip curled in an animalistic manner. I looked incredulously at her cronies. Did they really believe that this kind of behaviour was acceptable? Apparently, they did. 'He was never interested in dating until **you **came along! You're not even that hot! We would be together if it wasn't for YOU!' She shouted the end bit. Good thing they didn't know about Edward and I being married. Imagine their reaction if they did! Just as I thought she was about smack me a voice sounded outside the door of the bathroom. A velvety, smooth voice. Edward, thank god! 'Bella, are you ready? Are you alright?' At the sound of Edward's voice, the deranged girls froze. Then they rushed into frenzied action, fluffing their hair and checking their make-up in the mirrors. Apparently, Lauren was not the only one who was interested in Edward, though of course that had been painfully obvious.

I crept away while I had the chance and had almost reached the door when they noticed me. Lauren grabbed me and pushed out the door in front of me. As did her followers. I was finally able to exit the bathroom and the scene that I was met with made my blood boil. Lauren was standing in front of Edward while trailing a manicured finger up and down his chest. She had backed him up against a wall and looked like a deer caught in headlights. She was purring at him while the other girls tried to get near any other available part of Edward. Edward's eyes were searching. Then they found my own. A smirk played on his lips. 'Bella, honey,' he called. The girls crowded around him turned toward me with pure hate in their eyes. He sauntered over to me and slowly put his arms around me. He lowered his lips to my own and kissed me. It started off gently, but then got more intense. When we finally pulled away from one another, we were both left breathless. My head was spinning. His arm curled around my shoulders. 'Let's go to lunch, Bella,' he said. We began to walk away. I looked back to see the gobsmacked faces of Edward's unofficial fan club. The sight made me grin from ear to ear.

We entered the cafeteria and silence descended upon the entire room. Edward ignored this and went straight to the line for food. He grabbed two trays and asked me what I wanted. I didn't particularly care so I simply motioned vaguely to some food. He took and paid for what I pointed out. What he had taken for himself also seemed completely random. He led me to an empty table and we sat down. I noticed that his family were sitting at another table not far from our own. I wondered why he didn't want to sit with them. I asked him and all he said was, 'Well, if we were sitting with my family, I wouldn't be able to speak with my wife privately, would I?' He followed this comment with a dazzling smile. I was oblivious to my surroundings. So much so that I didn't notice the boy who had walked right up to our table and was now leaning on it. Edward had though. He was glaring at him, as though he could hear what he was thinking, and didn't particularly like it.

I wondered what he was doing here. Did he want to talk to Edward? If so, I wish that he would say what he wanted to say and leave. To my utter surprise, he turned to me. 'You're Isabella Swan, right? I'm Mike Newton.' He extended his hand for me to shake. 'Uh,' I replied. 'Actually, I prefer Bella.' I shook his hand with confusion. I looked at Edward to see pure fury on his face. What was going on? 'Okay, Bella. Are you busy tonight?' Mike smiled in what I guess he thought was an attractive manner. To be quite honest, it paled in comparison to Edward's. 'No, thank you.' I answered as politely as I could muster. His face fell. 'Umm, okay then.' He mumbled and shuffled dejectedly away. I turned to Edward with my cheeks burning and he grinned back at me. He grabbed my waist and once again claimed my lips with his own. This time it lasted longer. His lips were more insistent, more demanding. I felt his tongue force its way into my mouth and battle my own for dominance. He pushed me against the edge of the table and pressed himself harder against me. Then, he seemed to shake himself and he pulled away. 'What was that about?' I couldn't help but question. Not that I didn't enjoy it of course. Edward looked at me sheepishly and said, 'You're beautiful when you blush.' Of course, this simply made me blush harder. A booming laugh came from the table where Edward's family sat. It had come from Emmett. For some strange reason, I thought that he was laughing at us. Their table was relatively close to our own, but not exactly within earshot. Edward glared at Emmett, looking embarrassed. How bewildering!

The rest of the day could nearly be described as uneventful. Of course, we were forced to deal with the whispers pertaining to our P.D.A in the cafeteria. Plus the general whispers and gossip we had been dealing with all day. There were a select few that did not gossip about us, or glare daggers at me, etc, etc. Unfortunately, they were in the minority. One girl, Angela Webber, was in our Biology class. She introduced herself to me. She seemed quite shy but told me not to mind the whispers. That they would have found something else to talk about by next week. She also told me that Jessica wasn't really all that bad, just jealous. Lastly, she told me that Edward and I were really good together, that she hadn't seen him as happy in a long time. This of course, made me blush. Edward was sitting a few desks away, but I could've sworn I saw the edges of his lips tilt upwards.

At the end of school, Edward drove me home. He got out of the car and walked me to my front door. 'Sorry, Bella. I can't come in today. I have to go home and take care of some things, okay?' Oh. For some reason, I was deeply disappointed. He gave me a quick peck on the lips and was off. He was so fast! There were some strange things about Edward, now that I thought about it. His skin was impossibly hard. He hadn't eaten a thing at lunch. Or drank anything for that matter. He seemed to know what people were thinking. He could hear things from further away than anyone I had ever met before. I think. Plus now, the speed! I could've sworn that he actually blurred. I would find out tomorrow. If I remembered. Which was a big if with Edward around. He could dazzle you into forgetting anything, maybe even your own name. Dazzling, added to the list of things that weren't quite right about him. I would get answers tomorrow. I would! I hope.

(**Again just a warning, you might not like Edward here.)**

EPOV

I didn't want to leave Bella. Which was preposterous. I had known her for merely three days. Plus there was the bet to think of. The stupid bet! Why had I ever made it?! I banged my head on my steering wheel. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! When I finally stopped I noticed that I had left a large dent in the wheel. Great, just great! I would have to get that fixed. That wouldn't be hard to explain at all. Maybe Rosalie could fix it for me, she was great with cars.

I entered the house to the laughter of my brothers. Alice was looking on in disdain. She looked at me with disappointment, and something else. Something close to disgust. 'How's the wife?!' boomed Emmett. 'Eaten her, yet?' That wasn't funny. I would never hurt Bella. Of course I couldn't tell them that. I simply stared at them. I was so confused. Their thoughts were bombarding my brain. Alice's thoughts were the ones that seemed to reverberate around my skull. _You're a pig! An inconsiderate jerk! An animal! _I know. She knows that I know. However she knows that I'm not doing anything about it. As do I. Which made me worse. Then she spoke. Her words stung more than her thoughts. To hear what I was doing out loud. 'I can't believe that you're doing this to Bella. It's disgusting! What the hell did she ever do to you?! You do know that she's falling for you, right? Of course you do. What are you doing, just laughing at her behind her back? 'Oh, look at the silly human, thinking I would ever feel anything for her.'? I swear to god Edward! If I could spit. I would spit at you right now!' Then she turned on her heel and stormed from the room.

The reason Alice was so disgusted with me was because I had made a bet with jasper and Emmett. They bet me that I could not get a human girl of their choosing to marry me, give me her heart and then break it. I accepted the bet. I had guessed that it would be one of the girls already at Fork's High. Ones I wouldn't mind breaking the hearts of. It would have been hell for me of course, but in the long-run, easy enough. However, they had chosen the last minute transfer, figuring it would be too easy if it was a girl who was already in love with me. So I had approached Bella. She wasn't like the other girls, though. She had depth. Intelligence. Personality. A mind of her own. One I could not read. The first, which intrigued me to no end. And her scent, her heavenly, heavenly scent! She wouldn't have been swayed so easily into marrying me, so I had to help her along. I had poured alcohol into her coffee, guessing she wouldn't handle it well. I had been right. I went on to get her completely drunk, and then married her. I was adamant that I would not lose the bet. I even made her think that we slept together; of course I wouldn't have that sort of self-control. She thought that she had lost her virginity to me. I was despicable. I hated myself.

'So she's falling for you already, huh?' Emmett's voice interrupted my thoughts. They were enjoying it. Of course I had thought I would too. Toying with the humans. But I didn't want to toy with Bella. 'You're not falling for her too, are you Edward?' Jasper smirked. I attempted to put a stop to my inner turmoil. No such luck. So I pretended. 'Of course not,' I scoffed. 'She's just a stupid human. I'm so going to win this bet.' I grinned and laughed with my brothers. But it was all an act. For once in my existence, I was glad I was the mind-reader of the group.

**Well, what did you think? Let me know. Are you surprised? Angry? Etc? Reviews make me update faster. I promise. **

**Xx**

**Kate **


	4. Chapter 4

**IM ALIVE!**** I'm actually updating, a shock I know! Sorry for such a long wait. Two months, give or take. Thanks for all the reviews and story alerts etc etc. I'd write more here but I am reallly tired! Hope everyone had a great Christmas and happy new year. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I have not, do not, and will not (ever) own(ed) Twilight.**

**Important note: Prologue has been added to chapter 1, please read! :)**

**Kate  
**

BPOV

Charlie had arrived home from his fishing trip late Monday evening. He asked me how my field trip was and asked me if I had made any friends. I answered vaguely that I had a lot of fun and I'd made a few friends. He grunted in response, never really one to express emotion well. I knew that I would have to tell him about my marriage at some point, but I was terrified. He would be so disappointed in me, and Renée would be even worse. There would come a point when I could no longer avoid telling him, and prolonging the confession would simply make the situation worse. Knowing all this I opened my mouth and started. 'Uh, Dad? I need to tell you something.' 'Yes?' he replied. However, at the very last moment I chickened out. I had to think of something else to say as I couldn't leave it like that. 'Um, tomorrow a boy called Edward will be giving me a lift to school. Is that okay?' 'Edward Cullen?' he asked. I nodded in response, nervous. 'Yes, of course. Nice boy, nice family. Never cause any trouble.' He turned away then, going into the sitting room to watch some television. As I climbed the stairs to get ready for bed, I wondered how nice Charlie would think Edward was when he found out that we were married. I would have to make sure that Charlie's gun was well hidden for that particular encounter.

I woke up early the next morning, intent upon quizzing Edward about all the strange things I had noticed about him. I also wanted time to dress extra carefully and decide what to do with my hair. When I came downstairs for some breakfast, Charlie raised his eyebrows at me. Was the extra effort I had put into my appearance really that obvious? 'Should I be worried?' he asked me. 'No, of course not!' I said as innocently as I could. The time for worry was well over. I was already married to the guy. I was contemplating changing my outfit, I didn't want to look lie I was trying _too_ hard, when Edward's car pulled up in front of my house. He got out of the car and walked up to my front door. He rang the bell and waited patiently for the door to be opened. I stood up to do just that but Charlie beat me to it. He wrenched the door open and folded his arms, glaring at Edward. Edward extended his hand to shake and said, 'Good morning, Chief Swan. It's a pleasure to meet you.' Charlie shook his hand and seemed to loosen up somewhat. 'Dad, may we leave now?' I asked after a prolonged awkward silence. He nodded unenthusiastically and then turned to Edward. Oh, no, I

thought to myself. What is he going to say now? 'You look after my girl now, Edward. Do you hear me? I'm watching you.' To Edward's endless credit, he didn't flinch or break eye contact. 'I will, sir.' He replied. Then he took hold of my hand and led me to his car, where he opened the door for me and helped me get inside. He was pulling out all the stops for Charlie. 'I'm impressed.' I said to him when the doors were firmly shut. 'Just trying to make a good impression.' He replied, while keeping his gaze focused on the road before him. 'So I take it that you haven't told him yet.' It was more of a statement than a question. There was no need to elaborate on what I hadn't told Charlie. 'I suspect that if you had, I would have a bullet in my head right now. Or, at least, have had a bullet fired at my head.' He chuckled at this; as if it were some hilarious joke that only he was a part of. What did he mean by that?! Just another thing added to the list of things that weren't quite right about him. Not entirely normal. I was unsure of how to broach the subject. What was I supposed to say, 'Edward, I've noticed a few things that are really off about you. (List them off) Would you care to explain yourself?' A bit too prying. Just a tad. However, I knew that I had to do it now. We would arrive at school soon enough, then I would be unable to question him until the end of the day. He could easily fob me off then or silence me with a kiss. Now was the time, when I could catch him off guard. Even if I only got to mention what I had noticed. At least it would then be out there and he would be forced to acknowledge its presence. But still, how to approach the topic? That was the question. I decided to just jump right in, as we were nearing the school with each passing second. Edward drove ridiculously fast. 'Edward,' I began. He looked at me, concerned at my tone of voice. He squeezed my hand and smiled down at me, that dazzling smile. What was I going to say again? 'What's wrong, Bella?' How did he do that? Dazzle with such ease? I had meant to question the abnormal things I had noticed about him, I really had. However, I was sidetracked by his amazing smile and instead asked this, 'How do you do that? Dazzle people like that?' as soon as I had said the words I wanted to stuff them back into my mouth. I sounded like such an imbecile. A lovelorn and pathetic little girl. Then he smiled at me again. Maybe he didn't think so. The disgust and disdain I had expected did not appear on his perfectly chiselled face. That was another thing to add to the list. Who really looked that good? Really? He stroked my fingers softly and whispered, 'Do I dazzle you, Bella?' I nodded feebly, my legs the consistency of jelly. 'Really?' he questioned, somehow surprised. I nodded once again, completely incapable of anything else. Then I realised that we had just pulled into the parking lot of Forks High school. I hadn't been able to question him on what I had really wanted answers to. Maybe if I asked him now, really quickly, I could refer back to it later. Then I would get my answers! As I was opening my mouth to do exactly this, Edward silenced me with a soft and blissful kiss to my lips. It was short and sweet but left me seeing stars long after it was finished. He opened my car door for me and practically lifted me out, as I was off in daydream land. It was a wonderful place really, where I spent all day long kissing Edward. Stop it, Bella, I chastened myself. I was falling for Edward with every passing day, and I was falling hard. This was ludicrous. We should be figuring out a way to get divorced quickly and cleanly, not acting like two lovebirds. However, the thought of losing this connection to Edward, of being apart from Edward, caused my heart to weep. Which was bad, it meant I was in deep. My brain and my heart were fighting on opposite sides. I didn't know which was winning. What I did know was that once your heart and mind began to oppose one another, it could only end in tears. If only I'd known then how true that statement was. Maybe if

I had, I could've saved myself an awful lot of heartache.

Maybe lunch, I could ask him at lunch. We could go somewhere semi-private. My thoughts were interrupted by a male voice and a hand that was being offered for me to shake. English was just about to start and Edward had gone off to speak with his sister, Alice, about something. The boy sat down beside me, in Edward's seat. 'I'm Mike,' he said. When recognition didn't spark in my eyes, he continued somewhat less enthusiastically. 'From lunch...Yesterday... I introduced myself.. Mike Newton?' the final part was phrased like a question. I had a vague recollection of his interruption of our lunch yesterday, yes. 'Oh, yes.' I said in a non committed manner. 'So,' he continued, completely oblivious to the fact that I wanted him to go away, far away. Or maybe he simply didn't care. I looked around the room, attempting to ignore him, and then maybe he would go away. Jessica was also in this class, and she was giving me the evil eye. I guess that she was interested in this 'Mike' fellow. Well, as far as I was concerned, she could have him. My gaze continued to wander around the room as Mike babbled on and on about inane subjects. I nodded at certain intervals to not seem overtly rude, but I just wished that he would leave me alone. I was surprised to note that both of Edward's brothers were in this class. Emmett and Jasper. The entire female population of the class, and some of the male, were gazing at the two of them in adoration. Jasper looked like he was in physical pain and Emmett simply looked entertained. My train of thought was broken once again by Mike. 'So,' he said, 'what's going on with you and Cullen? Are you sleeping together or something?' What?! How dare he ask something like that? 'Ex-Excuse me!' I spluttered. 'How dare you!? That's absolutely none of your business!' I was fuming. The pure audacity of this boy! 'Whatever!' he replied. 'Chill.' Chill? Chill?! Was he kidding?!!! I'd chill him!!!! I was just about to open my mouth to give Mike the tongue-lashing of the century when a deep, velvety smooth voice sounded from above. All the colour drained from Mike's face. He was as pale as, well, Edward. 'Let me handle this, love.' Edward whispered in my ear. Love! He'd called me love! My heart fluttered in my chest and I could've sworn that I heard birds singing. I heard loud guffaws and looked over to see both Jasper and Emmett bent double with laughter. Edward glared at them. What was so funny? Suddenly, Edward caught Mike by the scruff of the neck and pinned him against the wall. His voice was low and dangerous when he said, 'Apologise to the lady, for what you said. Apologise to Bella. NOW!' He all but roared the final part. Mike was turning purple and looked ready to soil himself. 'I-I'm S-s-s-so-orr-orry Be-Bella!' he choked out. However, Edward's grip simply tightened on his throat. 'And do you promise to never do such a thing again?' I was scared, what if Mike actually suffocated? I jumped up and tried to pry Edward from him, but he was too strong. I looked over at Emmett and Jasper helplessly. However, their faces were mystified and shocked, as if they hadn't expected this whatsoever. 'Please Edward. Stop!' I begged. 'I promise!' choked out Mike. 'I PROMISE! Let go!' Edward suddenly let Mike drop to the floor and stared down at him in disdain. The whole class had been watching in rapt awe and now turned away in a feeble attempt to pretend they weren't. Mike was still struggling to breathe properly and pulled himself up from the floor. He struggled back to his seat, trying to retain as much dignity as possible. Edward sat down on his seat, his fists curled tightly and his hand still shaking with rage. I looked over to Emmett and Jasper yet again, but they still had that identical, dazed look on their faces. I turned back to Edward. 'Are you okay?' I whispered. He was quivering with fury. I began to rub his back softly and continued to do so after the teacher arrived and throughout the lesson. Gradually, his body stilled and breathing became less laboured. By the end of the lesson, he was smiling again, but I could tell that it was forced.

I let it drop until lunch. When we were firmly seated with our unappetizing food, I pounced. 'What's wrong?' He seemed surprised that I had noticed. He also seemed annoyed that I had, abnormally so. 'Nothing,' he lied between clenched teeth. 'Do I look stupid to you?' I questioned with my hands on my hips and my head cocked to one side. Maybe a bit of humour would release some of the tension built up in his shoulders. 'No', he replied. 'You're perfect.' Then he dropped his head into his hands and groaned in distress. 'Oh, what have I done? I'm so sorry!' 'Edward, you're scaring me! What's wrong?' He finally gave me an answer. 'Well,' he said. 'Let's just say that Alice said something was going to happen. Something I don't want to happen. She says it's already happening. And believe me; it's not wise to bet against Alice.' His entire body slumped forward. I was lost, completely lost. After what seemed like an age, he finally raised his head. He had a glint in his eye that made him look somewhat mentally unstable. 'I have something I need to tell you, Bella. You need to believe me. Do you promise that you'll believe me?' I nodded, unsure of where this was headed, but certain that I would believe him. Why would he lie? 'I'm different from other people,' he began. 'I'm a…' Suddenly his brothers were there. 'Sorry, Bella. We need to take our brother somewhere. He must have forgotten to mention it.' 'But he was just....' I protested, but was cut off. 'See ya.' They called as they half dragged Edward away. They had his mouth clamped shut but he was able to open it, just for a second. He shouted, across the entire cafeteria, the entire student body within earshot, listening intently, 'I LOVE YOU, BELLA!' Emmett and Jasper almost dropped him at that; their mouths fell open in absolute shock. Alice had joined them and was now dancing with glee. My face heated up as the curious stares of all my peers were focused on me. I wanted to; I don't know what I wanted to do. It didn't matter though, they were gone, all of the Cullens.

I didn't see Edward at all for the rest of the day. I guess I would be walking home. At least I would have time to think. And I did think. I thought about my day as I walked home, as I cooked dinner, as I did my homework, and when I crawled into bed I was no closer to figuring it all out as I had been all those hours ago. The events of the past day had made absolutely no sense. As I drifted off to sleep I felt the questions spinning around and around in my head, and the unnerving sense that I was not completely alone.

_**Sneak peek of next chapter.**_

EPOV

They dragged me out of the cafeteria and into the Volvo, incredulous. Well, except for Alice. She had known all along. A warning would have been nice! Bella, sweet, sweet Bella! I drifted off into a daydream land where thoughts of her were ever present. When I came back to the real world I realised that we were inside our house. They must have carried me in. thoughts and words were being shot at me like arrows. 'You idiot!' _You could've exposed us all! _Etc, etc. I wasn't listening, I was thinking of Bella. Rosalie seemed to realise this and slapped me across the face. Alice was dancing around in a circle. Damn pixie! Among all the chaos, Emmett was grinning like a fool. 'I guess that means we won the bet. And you know what that means!' Oh, no. No, no, no, no! 'Not that! Have mercy!' I begged. 'A bet's a bet! We won fair and square.' He rubbed his hands together in glee. 'Come on, Jasper.' He cackled. 'It's time to prepare.' Alice fell to her knees laughing, undoubtedly having caught a glimpse of my fate. Oh, no. this was not going to bode well for me.

* * *

**Well? Want to know what happens next? Well, then. Review! And if you have any guesses as to what Edward will be forced to do, let me know! **** Sneak peek. Lucky readers! I thought that you deserved it after such a long wait. If there are any readers left... I hope so! Who was in Bella's room? Ooh, now I wonder who that could've been? Anyway, leave a review. Hopefully the next chapter will be up reasonably quickly. **

**Kate**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone. Yet another excruciatingly long wait. I'm extremely sorry. In my defence, I do have mocks in less than a week. My life currently consists of study and not much else. Sigh. Well, here's an update anyway. It's not exactly long, sorry, but an update nevertheless. The competition that I wrote this for is well over. Do you want me to continue? Yes, no, maybe so? Let me know. If you don't want me to continue, I won't. Hopefully, there's still someone reading. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. **

EPOV

They dragged me out of the cafeteria and into the Volvo, incredulous. Well, except for Alice. She had known all along. A warning would have been nice! Bella, sweet, sweet Bella! I drifted off into a daydream land where thoughts of her were ever present. When I came back to the real world I realised that we were inside our house. They must have carried me in. Thoughts and words were being shot at me like arrows. 'You idiot!' _You could've exposed us all! _Etc, etc. I wasn't listening, I was thinking of Bella. Rosalie seemed to realise this and slapped me across the face. Alice was dancing around in a circle. Damn pixie! Among all the chaos, Emmett was grinning like a fool. 'I guess that means we won the bet. And you know what that means!' Oh, no. No, no, no, no! 'Not that! Have mercy!' I begged. 'A bet's a bet! We won fair and square.' He rubbed his hands together in glee. 'Come on, Jasper.' He cackled. 'It's time to prepare.' Alice fell to her knees laughing, undoubtedly having caught a glimpse of my fate. Oh, no. This was definitely not going to bode well for me.

BPOV

I woke up the next morning, completely exhausted. I'd been awake half the night attempting to figure out what was going on with the Cullens. I stumbled down the stairs and got something to eat. I nearly fell out the door and to my eternal surprise, Edward was there waiting for me. Leaning against his perfect car in his perfect manner. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect!! And here I was, looking a complete mess! However, this didn't seem to bother Edward. His eyes lit up when he saw me and he opened his arms, beckoning me. I thought that it might be awkward when we saw one another again. That he might be embarrassed at his outburst and somewhat distant with me. But he wasn't. He pulled me to him and embraced me tightly, as if he never wanted to let go. It was extremely unusual for him to be this affectionate. Though I couldn't say that I wasn't enjoying it. Then he said those words. The words that made my heart flutter. 'I love you, Bella.' And even though we'd known each other for such a short time, and I knew that it was completely illogical, I loved him too. I'd fallen for him. Completely and utterly. 'I love you too, Edward.'

'Bella?' Edward interrupted my thought. We were on the way to school and I had drifted off into a world of my own. 'Hmm?' I replied. 'We have to tell him.' What? Who? Tell who what? Edward saw my confusion and elaborated. 'Your father, Charlie. We have to tell him that we are married, Bella. I know that we are very young, but I want to give our marriage a serious chance. I love you Bella.' He squeezed my fingers convincingly as he said. I had, of course thought of that. But I hoped it could be prevented as long as humanly possible. 'Well,' I retorted, 'what about you? You haven't told your parents yet, either!' He smiled at me superiorly. 'Actually,' he grinned, 'Yes, I have.' My jaw dropped. How come he hadn't told me? 'And they're quite anxious to meet you, actually. They want to meet the young woman who finally stole Edward's heart.' I blushed. Had he really been such a recluse? By this time, we had arrived at the school. Edward was at my door in under a second. How did he do that? Really. 'M'lady.' He bowed as he helped me from the car. I had to laugh. The first thing I noticed was the glares that were being shot our way by the entire student body. I guess that Edward's profession of love yesterday didn't help the jealousy that they all sent our way. Edward was returning the male glares and took hold of my shoulders to push us as close together as physically possible. Not that I minded. 'Mine.' He growled at anyone who came too close. I had to laugh. He was jealous. On my account.

The classes that lead to lunch were uneventful, boring even. We entered the lunch room and sat down. I took the opportunity to voice something that had been bothering me for some time. 'Edward?' 'Yes, love.' He answered. That sent chills up my spine. Good chills. 'Remember, yesterday?' he nodded. 'Before your brothers, um, took you away?' 'Yes.' He answered warily. 'You wanted to tell me something. It seemed very important to you. What was it?' He sighed; apparently he had been afraid that I would ask exactly this at some stage. 'I can't tell you, Bella.' 'Why not? You were just about to tell me yesterday.' 'Well, I was being irrational yesterday, Bella. I can't tell you. I'm sorry.' This made me angry. Why couldn't he tell me? If he reallly wanted to, he could, easily. Maybe I was being immature, but it hurt that he didn't trust me enough to tell me. 'Yes you can, Edward. You just don't want to!' 'Bella,' he warned. 'No, tell me. Now!' ' I'm not telling you, Bella!' 'Why not, don't you trust me?' I felt like crying. He sighed. Then stood up. Was he leaving? 'I'm going to talk to Alice. I'll be back in a few minutes.' He said. Why had I fought so hard? Maybe it was none of my business. He was angry with me because I'm so stubborn I wouldn't let it go.

He came back and sat down. 'Okay,' he said. 'I'll tell you. Tonight. If you tell Charlie that we're married first. Deal?' Was the information really that valuable? Did I really want to tell Charlie now, instead of postponing it for as long as possible? What Edward had to tell me might be completely insignificant. But for some reason, I just had to know. 'Deal.' I agreed, and shook his outstretched hand. 'However,' he said. 'I must warn you. When I have told, you may no longer want to know.' These words sent a chill up my spine. Not the good kind from earlier. But the bad kind, the kind that said, 'Danger! Run!'

**Very short, yes I know. Sorry. I just wanted to at least update. I might add to it later on. Telling Charlie, etc. so if you want to read about Charlie's reaction and Bella's reaction to Edward's news, review! Don't forget to let me know as to whether you want the story to continue. **

**Kate**

**Xxxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**A reasonably short wait considering my track record. I've decided to keep working on this story, due to the response I received. Thank you all very much. I will keep writing as long as you are reading and want me to. First and foremost, I absolutely love 'Scrubs' the ****TV show. I put a quote from scrubs in here, somewhere. Whoever finds it can pm me and get a little treat. Whether it be a sneak peek into Edward's mind in this chapter or a sneak peek at the next chapter. Good luck! My mocks are starting next week, so I won't be able to update for a while. Sorry! Please keep reading and thanks again to those who are. Random: arcade fire are an absolutely class band and if you haven't heard of them, go listen to them now. Their songs: neighbourhood no1 (tunnels), no 3(power out), no 4(7 kettles), intervention, my body is a cage and keep the car running, helped me write this chapter. Check them out! **

**Enjoy the chapter! **

**Disclaimer: do I own Twilight? No, now stop making me admit it! It's cruel and sadistic! : L**

BPOV

I spent the whole day in a sense of fearful expectation. I had agreed to tell Charlie. In exchange for what Edward had begun to tell me yesterday. Perhaps not the best trade in the world. On the surface, anyway. However, I had the strangest sensation that what Edward had to tell me was extremely important. That it would not simply sate my curiosity about what he had nearly said, but that it would answer the questions that almost constantly swam around my head about him. Completely illogical, of course. I had no idea what Edward had been about to say. He might have been gearing up to tell me that he liked to wear odd socks, for all I knew. Though I sincerely doubted it. It was the strangest thing.

In our last class of the day, that had started out as slow and monotonous as any other and had then taken a u-turn and sped up considerably after lunch, I couldn't stop fidgeting. I had begun to bite my nails, a particularly bad habit that I had managed to shed years earlier. Edward's slender fingers gently pried my own from my mouth; the nails were almost completely gone. He placed my hands safely in my lap and told me to pay attention to the lecture. It didn't take long for me to resume my fidgeting. I began to fiddle with my hair. Twisting, braiding, plaiting, twirling. Anything to keep me occupied. I didn't want the day to end. I didn't want to go home. Put simply, I didn't want to tell Charlie. I didn't want to see the disappointment in his eyes. The sensation of having failed him, screwed up. Done something so foolish and cliché. Getting married to a complete stranger at seventeen. Who actually did that? Me, apparently.

I was so immersed in my thoughts that I didn't hear Edward say my name. he finally got my attention and informed that class was over, we had to go. I felt goose-bumps rise on my arms. This was it. The point of no return. Time to die. Metaphorically of course. Though, in Edward's case, I couldn't be sure. Charlie was the chief of police, and so had a gun. I was his only daughter, would Edward be safe? Yes, he would of course. Charlie would never hurt somebody, much less kill them. Would he?

We made our way to the parking lot silently. Solemn even. We each slipped into the car and Edward began to drive. We made it to the house quickly due to Edward's penchant for speed. He still hadn't aid a word. Was he angry with me? Was he annoyed that I was so against the idea of telling Charlie? I know that I was possibly overreacting, somewhat. But I was scared, as pathetic as that sounds. I let us into the house quietly. At least I would have time to prepare myself. Or at least, attempt to prepare myself. Charlie wouldn't be home until after six. Relatively early for him. I had roughly three hours to compose myself. The delivery of the news would be made all the worse if I were still shaking like a leaf. I sat down and vaguely gestured for Edward to do the same. I wondered if he would stay, or go and come back, or just expect me to do this by myself. Maybe he did. Maybe he would leave any second now. Leaving me to deal with...this by myself. I waited with bated breath to see if he would. One, two, three! Not a muscle did he move. He was gazing at me intently. As was I him, I noted with surprise.

Finally, he broke the silence. The silence that had been closing in on me, suffocating me, without my realising until I was released. 'Why are you so worried?' he asked softly, timidly almost. 'Do you not want him to know...about...us?' he continued uncertainly. He almost sounded afraid, of rejection. But that made no sense whatsoever. I loved him, I had told him. Did he think I was having doubts, second thoughts. I asked him this and his head nodded, slowly, ashamed. Though what he had to be ashamed of, I didn't know. 'Edward, I'm just worried about telling Charlie. We're so young and I don't think that he will be quite so understanding as your parents.' 'I don't suppose he will,' he smiled, a secret smile to himself. Not particularly aimed towards me. Part of a secret joke that, unfortunately, did not include me.

After that short conversation, the shroud of unease and tension that had seemed to hang between us fell. I went to start dinner for Charlie and myself and Edward joined me. I offered him a snack, aware of the fact that teenage boys consumed food like vacuums and under the assumption that he would jump at the offer. However, he politely declined. Come to think of it, I had never actually seen Edward eat. Maybe he would join Charlie and myself for dinner when we had told him our news. I decided to make fish. Simple, quick and personal favourite of Charlie's. Desert would be a pie I had bought for this exact occasion. To attempt to cushion the blow. Maybe if he was keen on the idea of shooting Edward, I could convince him otherwise with pie? Not one of my best ideas, but it couldn't hurt, right? The pie, I mean. It was his favourite.

I began on the fish and realised that I didn't have much time. Edward was watching my work, fascinated. I smiled, 'Not much of a cook, huh?' I asked. He smiled back, 'I guess you could say that.' Dinner was ready just in time; I looked at the clock, just six. Perfect. Edward had generously offered to set the table. I was about to serve the food when I frowned. There were only two places set. 'Do you not want to stay for dinner, Edward?' 'Oh, um, no, I wouldn't like to intrude.' He replied somewhat nervously. How odd. 'You can stay, unless you have to get home or something.' Maybe that was why. 'Oh, it's just,' he said, seemingly struggling for a logical reason to go. 'Well, um, Esme, my mother, always makes a huge dinner and is upset when we can't eat it all. It won't be ready for a while yet so I can stay. But I cannot eat. I don't want to upset her. I'm very sorry.' He looked sheepish. 'That's fine.' I said. It was awfully sweet of him, to care about his mother's feelings like that.

Charlie was late, I noticed as I caught a glimpse of the clock. Just as I thought this, I heard the door open, and subsequently close. Trapped. 'Hey bells,' he called loudly. 'I'm home.' The endearment made my cheeks burn with Edward here. He simply smiled at me, in a way that said, 'I think it's cute.' Great. Charlie entered the kitchen and did a double take when he saw Edward. Edward was quick to introduce himself and shake Charlie's hand. Fortunately, he didn't launch straight into our news. I think that would've dazed Charlie so much he might've fallen down. I gestured for Charlie to sit and served him his dinner. Maybe it would be best told over food. With Charlie sitting, and the gun upstairs. Edward sat beside me and took my hand to encourage me. Not a great move. Charlie saw and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Well, I sighed internally. Best to get it over and done with. Rip off the band aid quickly and as painlessly as possible. Though for some reason, I couldn't seem to speak. The words were there, on the tip of my tongue, but they couldn't seem to move from where they resided. Edward seemed to notice this and started for me.

'It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Swan. Your daughter and I have something very important to tell you. Wonderful news, in my opinion. I hope that you agree.' Good. Edward was easing him into it. I took this as my cue to begin. However, before I could, Charlie erupted. 'YOU'RE PREGNANT, AREN'T YOU? YOU'RE PREGNANT! YOU GOT HER PREGNANT! I'LL KILL YOU!' he roared. The final part had obviously been aimed at Edward. He didn't seem overly worried. Bravery or stupidity, I couldn't tell which. 'No, Bella is not pregnant.' Edward said. Charlie ignored him and turned to me, 'Isabella Marie Swan, are you pregnant? Do **not **lie to me.' 'Ch-Dad, I am not pregnant.' I stated adamantly. Doubt flickered in his eyes. He believed me, somewhat anyway. 'Well,' he said slowly, cautiously, 'If you're not pregnant, then what is this 'wonderful news'?' Once again, he was suspicious. I could no longer avoid it. I decided it was best to be blunt. Rip the band aid off. Quickly. So I did. 'Dad, we, Edward and I, are married.'

Edward was squeezing my hand, in an attempt to calm me. Could he sense my racing pulse? No, of course not. He was simply intuitive. Charlie hadn't said a word. I wish that he would. Get it over with. The silence was lengthening, deafening. Edward suddenly spoke, 'Sir, I know this is quite the shock, but I love your daughter very much. I would never do anything to harm her and would be eternally grateful if you were to give us your blessing.' 'M-me t-too.' I squeaked. Edward turned and smiled at me beatifically. Charlie said nothing. He simply stood up, picked up his plate and walked away. I sighed. I'd known that this would be hard, but I hadn't realised how much so.

'It's okay.' Edward soothed. 'He'll come around, eventually.' I knew that he was right. It was just that.. 'I just thought that he would shout, and be angry, you know. Even disappointed. But this, this is somehow worse. Is he just going to ignore me? If so, for how long?' I was nearing hysterics so Edward pulled me into his arms and made soothing noises until I had calmed down. 'It'll be okay, Bella. I love you.' I sniffled. I had been crying and I hadn't even realised it. 'I love you too, Edward.' He looked at the clock and frowned. 'It's late.' He said. 'I'm sorry, but I need to go.' My face fell, was he abandoning me too? 'I'll be back tomorrow morning, but I really need to go now. I'll stay for a little while longer, if you wish, but I do have to leave soon.' I could've argued, told him to stay. But there was no point. He was either leaving now or very soon from now. I nodded in ascent and told him that I would see him in the morning. He stood up then hesitated. He leaned down and kissed my lips. Little more than a peck, but it was enough to set my stomach off on somersaults. 'I love you.' he whispered again, then left. Would those words ever fail to make my heart flop? From his lips? Probably not.

I walked into the living room, where Charlie was silently eating his dinner. The television was on, but he wasn't watching it. 'I have pie.' I said in an attempt to make conversation. No such luck. He merely nodded. At least he was acknowledging my presence. Or perhaps he just really wanted the pie. I sighed and turned to get it. 'When?' he asked. He speaks! Though the word confused me. 'What do you mean?' I asked. 'When did you two...get married?' he asked through gritted teeth. Oh. 'On the...field trip.' I mumbled. 'So,' he said. 'You mean to say that you married a complete stranger on a school field trip? Is that right? Do you have any idea how stupid of you that was? I thought that you were more responsible.' Tears pricked at my eyes. However, they were tears of anger. 'I do know him! I love him. And he loves me!' I all but shouted. 'You've only known each other a few days!' he roared. 'You're being completely stupid and irresponsible, Isabella. I thought that we'd raised you better than this. I'm so disappointed in you.' At that, I crumpled. He'd found my Achilles heel, and smashed it to pieces. He stood up and, once again, left the room. I cleaned up the mess left behind and then went upstairs to ready myself for bed. I wept silently all the while. My life was a mess. Charlie hated me. His door was closed firmly, telling me, in no uncertain terms, to stay away. I entered my own bedroom, and even though it was still early, crawled into my bed. Beneath the covers. Where the terrors of the world couldn't so easily harm me.

I slept restlessly, slipping in and out of consciousness. A sound alerted me late in the night. It was still dark out, but probably early morning. Charlie's snores sounded throughout the house. There was a rustling from the other side of the room. I stayed perfectly still. There was someone in my room. While I slept. I did my best to bite back a scream. Thankfully I was able. There were more noises. The person was approaching my bed. I stiffened. What were they going to do to me? Why was I being quiet?! I should scream. Charlie had a gun. I was about to open my mouth and do just that when the person's face came into view. It was…Edward?! What the hell?! He saw that I was awake and jumped back. I sat up in my bed and whispered, 'What the hell are you doing in my room in the middle of the night, Edward?!' He seemed to, for once, be at a loss for words. 'Um, I, um. I, uh, wanted to check, um, up on you. And, uh, your window was unlocked.' 'So you invited yourself in?' I asked. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'I just, I knew you were upset.' He gestured to my tear-stained cheeks. 'And I know things didn't go well with Charlie.' How did he know that? I asked him this and he sighed. His fingers began to run through his hair, a sure sign he was frustrated. He sat down on my bed and turned towards me. 'I guess I have some explaining to do.' He said, followed by an unconvincing, forced smile. 'I guess you do.' I replied.

'It's not what you think, Bella.' He said. 'I promise. I care about you. I love you. I just wanted to comfort you. I knew that you were upset and couldn't bear to just stand idly by.' 'But _how_ did you know?' I asked, stressing the 'how'. 'Now there's the hard part.' He said. Back to the hair his fingers went. 'You do deserve an explanation. You're not going to believe me, but you deserve to know.' My stomach flipped. Was he going to answer my questions, once and for all? He took a deep breath and began….

**Cliff-hanger. I wonder what happens next! Heeheehee. Not an awfully long chapter, but longer than the last. I hope you enjoyed it and how me you did by reviewing. Review review review! Please. Don't forget about the scrubs quote, and review! **

**Kate**

**Xxxxx**


	7. Chapter 7

**All things considered, this isn't that bad an update. I had time to write, so I did. Without further ado, enjoy. And don't forget to review! **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, would I be here? Think about it, really. I don't own twilight, or the characters. I just like to exploit them for my own entertainment. Is that so wrong!? Yes? It is? Oh, well, ah hem. On with the chapter. Oh, and don't forget to review, or Bella get's it! Heeeehehehehheheh**

**I need professional help, but don't we all? **

BPOV

He took a deep breath and began……

I waited with bated breath in anticipation of his explanation. If I were normal, I would be more interested in what he was doing in my room in the middle of the night. If I were normal, I would currently be demanding an explanation. If I were normal, I would have screamed bloody murder when I saw him, thus alerting Charlie and ensuring Edward would become well acquainted with a hospital bed. At the very least, if I were normal, that is, I would have thrown him out of my room and told him never to darken my door again.

However, who ever said I was normal? I didn't. Neither did anyone else. That's because I'm no normal. Which was painfully evident from the fact that instead of any of these rational and logical thoughts entering my mind, all I could think, or care, about was Edward finally telling me what I wanted to know. It was completely illogical. Irrational, even. But that fact didn't change anything. I wanted to know. No, I needed to know.

Edward was still preparing himself. What could be so difficult for him to say that he would need to spend this amount of time in preparation? I took his hand and began to draw soothing circles there in an effort to calm him. To no avail, unfortunately. His breathing became rapid and he was almost hyperventilating.

''Bella!' He exclaimed. Concern swept over me. Was he okay?!

''I'm sorry.'' He said. ''I can't do this. I need more time. I'm sorry. But before I leave, I want you to know this, I love you. Very much. Please remember that.''

My jaw dropped. How dare he? He had promised. I opened my mouth to protest, but before any sound could come out, he was gone. Just like that. As if he'd never been there.

Maybe he hadn't. Was I really so obsessed that my mind was purposefully fooling me into believing that he was there when he wasn't. I doubted that it was healthy, if it was true. No! I shook the thoughts from my head. I didn't have a mental illness. I wasn't so love struck that I'd conjured his visit from my imagination. I told myself this adamantly. However, as I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but wonder. Had I imagined it all? It wasn't humanly possible for someone to move that fast, after-all. And what would Edward be doing in my room in the middle of the night? When I finally fell into unconsciousness, in the wee hours of the morning, I didn't what I believed. What I did know was that waking for school would a next to near impossible feat.

EPOV

I ran as fast as I could. As far as I could. I had almost told her. Almost told our secret. But I couldn't. I wasn't ready. But I had no doubt in my mind that she would be angry. She had become suspicious. It wouldn't be long before she started to look into things herself. Then she would start to find answers. Of course, she would not straightaway believe what all the evidence pointed to. She was too logically minded for that. That was part of the reason why I didn't tell her. What if she didn't believe me? What if she thought me insane, and wanted nothing to do with me? I was afraid. Though, she may want nothing to do with me anyway, how could I have allowed her to catch me? She had told me that she loved me. But the love she held for me could not hold a candle to that I held for her. I groaned. I had royally messed things up. How could I have been so foolish? I was so preoccupied with her beauty, I hadn't realised that she was awake. She must think so little of me now. A common stalker. I buried my face in my hand and once again groaned.

The sun was beginning to rise. I may as well go home. Alice could give out to me. Emmett could laugh at me. Rosalie could shout at me. And Jasper. Jasper could take pity on me. Great. I think I'll stay here thanks. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Right on cue, Alice.

_Get your butt home. NOW! I have something to tell you._

_Alice. _

My sister. So articulate. I did as I was told, and ''got my butt home''. I entered the living room and she pounced.

''You're an idiot!' she exclaimed.

''I could've told ya that!'' boomed Emmett. Then he burst into raucous laughter as if he had just said the most hilarious thing in the world.

''Shut up!'' Alice and I said simultaneously.

''Fine.'' He huffed and crossed his arms. I turned back to Alice. Better to face her wrath now and get it over with. However, to my surprise she didn't look wrathful. More thoughtful than anything else.

''Oh, Bella. Silly, naïve Bella.'' She mumbled to herself.

''What?!'' I exclaimed. ''What's going on? Is she okay?!'' Alice turned back to me and her face hardened.

''You were stupid to get caught like that.'' She emphasised her point by poking me in the chest with surprising force. ''You should have waited. You were exceptionally foolish not to tell her then. She would've believed you. You were inconceivably stupid to show her your true speed. But you're extremely fortunate. You have been offered a reprieve. She has convinced herself that it was all a dream, a hallucination, the work of her overly active imagination due the fact that she's obsessed with you. whichever way you care to phrase it. Now you have two options. You can tell her that it all actually happened and explain to her what we are.'' Rosalie raised her voice in protest at this. She did not want Bella to know. That much was apparent. She had made her opinion on the matter painfully clear. I did not like that option. I needed more time. I needed to think. To phrase it perfectly in my mind, so that when I said it, she would actually believe and not run off screaming to the world that I was a blood-sucking monster.

''And option two?'' I raised an eyebrow. Her eyes darkened.

''I don't think that option two is a good choice. I can't see anything specific, but the outcome is shrouded in darkness. No good will come of it.'' I was sick of the melodrama.

''Will you just bloody well tell me what it is?!'' I snapped.

''Fine,'' she retorted. ''Let it be on your head. And don't say I didn't warn you. Your second option is to allow Bella to think it never happened. That will give you time to think things over. Decide how to properly tell her. Etc, etc. Everything that you're oh so very worried about.'' The idea sounded perfect to me. It would give me time to organise things, and who would it hurt, really? The incident was nothing, completely minor in the long run. I was about to voice my opinion when it was done for me. By Rosalie, of all people.

''I think that's a wonderful idea. Absolutely wonderful. Don't you just think it is a wonderful idea, Edward? Absolutely wonderful.'' She clapped her hands and her eyes twinkled with something dangerous. Something mysterious. Something I most certainly did not like. All the same, I did think it was a good idea. Definitely the more preferable of the two. Bella wouldn't even be harassing me for answers because she would think it was her imagination playing tricks on her again. I didn't like to mislead her, but it was for her own good. Wasn't it?

''I choose option two.'' I told Alice. Then I turned to leave. However, Emmett stopped me.

''Oh, Edward. Don't forget about the small matter of the bet, and how you lost. Don't forget to fear. Be afraid. Be very afraid! It could happen at any moment.'' He said this last bit in a meagre ghost imitation. I shook my head. I was afraid, I was terrified. But Emmett? I was starting to doubt that he would be able to pull it off. The man acted like a three year old. Now, Jasper. Him I was afraid of. I would have to watch him. Maybe if I watched him closely enough I would be able to avoid the entire fiasco completely. Though I doubted it.

But I pushed that disaster to one side. It was Bella I had to concentrate on now. I had made the right decision, hadn't I? I was sure I had. No body would be hurt, least of all, Bella. Then again, if I'd known then what I knew now, I wouldn't have even considered option two. I would've run screaming from it. I would've embrace option one like a long lost brother. Perhaps if I had, things would've turned out completely different.

BPOV

I woke up to a loud banging. My eyes refused to open.

''Isabella Swan! Get up right now or you're going to be late for school!'' Charlie shouted through the door. Was he talking to me again? I scrambled out of bed and wrenched the door open expectantly. I was met simply by air. Apparently not. I could hear him downstairs, struggling to gather his things so he could leave before I got there. I sighed. Great. I could tell that this was going to be an exceptionally pleasant day. Not. I dressed quickly as I was indeed running late. I ate a quick breakfast and scurried out to my truck.

To my surprise, Edward was there, waiting for me. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. I still wasn't sure if last night had actually happened. With each passing second I grew more and more sure that it hadn't. His demeanour was not that of one who had spent the night in someone's room, without said person's permission or knowledge. He didn't seem nervous, quite the opposite actually. He looked positively comfortable. His face lit up when he saw me and my blush deepened. I had imagined the entire thing. Pathetic.

I had to make sure though. I went over to him and attempted to broach the topic subtly.

''So,'' I asked. ''How was your night?'' Not so much as a flicker of change in his expression.

''Quite fine.'' He responded. ''How was yours? Did you sleep well?''

I would've liked to ask him, since he was there. But I didn't. Because I didn't think he was there. I was beginning to doubt my sanity. How could I be sure that anything was real if my brain could conjure up something so convincingly realistic that I truly believed it had happened? Edward gestured for me to get into the car and said something about not wanting to be late. However, I paid no attention. He kept up a steady conversation the entire way to school, but I wasn't listening. I was so humiliated and disorientated. If I could no longer distinguish between reality and fantasy, it was a slippery slope down the road to a mental institution.

**Ooh, bad Edward! Want to give ****out about him? Review! **

**Edward: Hey! That's not fair. She made me do that! I would never do that to bella! **

**Me: shut up! And get back to your corner. **

**Edward: yes, master. **

**Sorry about that. Anyway, any ideas as to what Edward is going to have to do for losing the bet? Or maybe, have done to him? What is Rosalie up to? What baddd thing did Alice see? Do you know how you find out? REVIEW! Though I don't know when I'll be able to update. It might be as early as tomorrow, or as late as next Friday. The exams have made my life extremely hectic. I will update ASAP though. I hope you enjoyed the Chapter. Now, I'm going to bed. Business paper 1 and 2 tomorrow. Joy. Don't forget to review! **

**Kate**


	8. Chapter 8

**Same an as last time. Too tired to change it. Enjoy.**

**All things considered, this isn't that bad an update. I had time to write, so I did. Without further ado, enjoy. And don't forget to review! **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, would I be here? Think about it, really. I don't own twilight, or the characters. I just like to exploit them for my own entertainment. Is that so wrong!? Yes? It is? Oh, well, ah hem. On with the chapter. Oh, and don't forget to review, or Bella get's it! Heeeehehehehheheh**

**I need professional help, but don't we all? **

BPOV

It had been a week since that fateful event. When I had imagined that Edward had been in my room. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was beginning to believe that I was indeed insane. Edward had asked me on numerous occasions what was wrong. How could he help? Had he done something wrong? Which somehow made things all the worse. I needed time to think. Time to be alone with my thoughts. Time to reorganise my confused mind. We were in the cafeteria. It was lunch time. The room around us was filled with the constant chatter of our peers. However, there was an air of tension at our table. Edward was trying desperately to lift it. He had been since it had appeared last week, when I had realised that I might be sliding down the slope of insanity. The tension had begun then. Ever since it had hung like a shroud between us. Always there, refusing to be ignored. I had to pull myself together before I didn't have to worry about the shroud between us. Because he would be gone. And I would be left to deal with the demons of my self-doubt and, eventually, self-loathing. I wouldn't blame him, in all honesty, if he were to leave. I was surprised he had endured me for so long. But I suppose, as they say, people do crazy things for love. The stray thought brought an unfamiliar smile to my face. How long had it been since I last smiled? Not that I had much to be smiling about. Charlie still refused to speak to me, the majority of people in the school glared at me and I felt that I was on the brink of insanity. What a joy.

I was snapped abruptly from my thoughts by Edward. He was shaking me.

''Bella!'' His voice was full of concern and.. Pain? ''Bella, please. You have been extremely distant with me for the past week. Please! Tell me what's wrong. Have... I done something to upset you? Is it my fault? Please, tell me what I can do to make it right. I... I love you.'' His voice took on a desperate and somewhat hysterical note at the end. I looked into his beautiful eyes, which seemed to be glistening with unshed tears. Though I could be imagining it. And I realised something. Whilst I had been drifting in my own world the past week, completely oblivious to the outside world, Edward had been enduring his own personal hell. He had thought that I was pulling away from him. He had thought that I no longer loved him. And I realised that, whatever I was going through. Whatever this crisis of self doubt and insecurity in my own sanity was, I had to push it aside and show Edward how much I truly cared for him. The magnitude and depth of my feelings for him. A sensation that was so all-consuming it often scared even me.

So I managed a smile, a weak one but a smile nevertheless, and reached up to stroke his cheek. He leaned against my touch, as if it were his lifeline, and grasped my hand to hold it there like a dying man. His eyes closed and he relaxed into me. The entire cafeteria simply floated away and we were in a world of our own. ''I love you too.'' I whispered softly and then we descended into silence.

The drive home was also spent in silence. I didn't know what to say and Edward seemed content to allow the silence to prolong. So that it did. Things were so different. I couldn't think of a way to fix it either. Lunchtime had seemed to break the ice somewhat, but more of the same did not seem to be forthcoming. When we arrived at my house I simply sat there for a moment, thinking. Then, acting upon impulse, I invited Edward in. I needed to sort this out, once and for all. I loved him and I needed to lift the tension. He nodded and followed me inside.

We sat down in the living room and I was unsure of how, or where, to start. So I decided to go with the flow and began.

''Edward. I know that I have been acting extremely strange this past week. First of all, I want to know that this has nothing to do with anything done on your part. I've been... struggling to come to terms with some things.'' I didn't know where to go from there. I didn't want to come right out and tell him that I thought I was insane, but how else would I explain my downright unsociable behaviour. An unexplained look of guilt washed over his face, as if something horrific had just dawned upon him. However, he quickly wiped his face clean of it, as if he were afraid I would see it. Strange.

''It's just.'' I continued. ''Everything is starting to take its toll on me. Charlie not speaking to me. Everyone at school hating me. Everything. I feel like I'm losing my mind.'' I omitted the part about my actually thinking I was crazy. I hadn't noticed, but I had started to cry. Edward took me into his arms and comforted me.

''I'm sorry.'' He said continuously. Over and over again. ''I'm sorry.'' ''I'm sorry.'' ''I'm sorry.'' ''I'm sorry.'' ''I'm so, so sorry.'' I didn't know exactly what he was apologising for but just the sound of his voice seemed to calm me and set my mind at ease. So I let him continue his torrent, never once silencing him or interrupting him. I felt safe in his arms. At home. Comfortable. Myself. I felt myself begin to drift off and welcomed the obliviousness of unconsciousness with open arms.

The next thing that I was aware of was someone clearing their throat. I dragged myself from my sleep haze. I sat up slowly and stretched. To my complete surprise, Charlie was standing there, looking apologetic. Before I could open my mouth, Charlie began.

''I'm really sorry for how I have been acting. I'm not saying that I condone what you did, but I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. Anyway, I'm sorry. Edward seems..fine.'' He grunted, looking uncomfortable beyond belief. ''You're telling your mother.'' He grumbled. Then he grunted my way once more and abruptly left the room.

A smile worked it's way onto my lips. Charlie was speaking to me again. Things were sorted out with Edward. I lay down and drifted off again. And for the first time in over a week, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

**Okay, not my best, or longest work. But I'm tired. And am currently experiencing a bit of writer's block. I hope you enjoyed it, let me know. don't know when I'll be able to update. Another long week of exams coming up. Sorry! **

**Kate**


	9. Chapter 9

**Well, the exams are over! For now, anyway. So I might be able to update on a semi-regular basis for a while. Yey! Hope you enjoy the chapter. By the way, now that I actually have time, If you review lots and lots and lots, I'll be able to update quicker. So review! **

**Disclaimer: For the last time, Stephanie Meyer owns twilight. Not I, my name is Kate. Not Stephanie. *sigh*.**

BPOV

I woke up the next morning in an unusually good mood. Things were looking up. Charlie had forgiven me. Well, maybe not completely. But, at least he was speaking to me once again. Things were fixed with Edward. We were once again on the path to eternal bliss. Eternal bliss. Such a strange concept. I stretched lazily, reminding myself somewhat of a cat. I groaned at the thought of getting up. Then, I remembered with a smile. Today was Saturday! No getting up for me, at least not for a while. I had just lain down for some more luscious rest when I heard an insistent rapping upon the door. I groaned. Who was that? What did they want? Maybe if I ignored them, they would simply go away.

Ten minutes later, I realised that this tactic was not working. So I got up and stumbled down the staircase. I wrenched open the door and growled, ''What?!'' I was shocked to see Edward standing there. Looking impeccable, as always. And I was standing there with bed-head, in a shirt and sweatpants, with my lip curling at the audacity of whoever had been at the door. Heat rose in my cheeks. I tried to subtly subdue my hair. No such luck. He suddenly began to chuckle. Great, now he was laughing at me. I glared at him, but he just laughed harder. I stomped away from him and sat down on the couch in the living room. Of course, I wasn't really angry at him, just embarrassed.

He came in and sat down beside me. He bent his head towards my own and whispered in my ear, ''Hello, beautiful.'' The sound sent chills down my spine and all embarrassment was forgotten. My cheeks went scarlet, but for an entirely different reason. ''So,'' he began, ''since Charlie's gone fishing, why don't we do something today. After all, you are my beautiful, wonderful wife and I cannot recall that we have even had a proper first date. I would like to rectify that.'' Wait a minute. Charlie was fishing, how did he know that? I didn't even know that!

''How did you know that Charlie was gone fishing?'' I asked suspiciously. Surprise made a brief appearance on his features, and then was gone as soon as it appeared.

''I saw the note.'' He replied smoothly. However, I could not shake the feeling that he was lying to me. Though that may have simply been pure paranoia.

''Um, okay then.'' I replied lamely. ''Sorry.'' I muttered.

''No problem.'' He said. ''Now,'' he continued, rubbing his hands together conspiratorially, ''where should we go today?''

''I don't know.'' I laughed. ''You pick.'' He tapped a finger to his lips, an overly thoughtful look upon his face.

''Hmm,'' he mused. ''So many options, so little time.'' I laughed and punched him on the shoulder playfully.

''Ow,'' he said, looking hurt. However, he then erupted into laughter. Thus, ruining the effect.

''I've got it!'' he snapped his fingers. ''We shall go to see a movie in Port Angeles, then I, being the chivalrous gentleman that I am, will treat you to dinner.''

''Sounds good to me,'' I replied.

Then I ran upstairs to get dressed. I threw on a t-shirt and jeans. Nothing fancy. In all honesty, I couldn't be bothered. It didn't seem to make a difference anyway, because when I came down he told me I was gorgeous and proceeded to kiss me for so long I nearly passed out. Did I mention that I love him?

We went into the cinema and saw the movie. But we didn't actually watch it. I can't even remember what it was called, let alone the plot. I think that it was some kind of romcom or something. We simply took the time to enjoy each other's company, and act like a normal couple. Something that we hadn't been able to do much of with all the drama as of late. We came out of the cinema laughing; Edward had his arm around my shoulders. The sky was overcast, threatening rain. Typical. Edward then began to lead me to the restaurant in which we would eat. When we arrived, my mouth gaped in surprise. It was the most fancy, and expensive, restaurant in all of Port Angeles. I couldn't afford this. I pointed this out to Edward, ashamed. He laughed at me, telling me that I wouldn't pay for a thing, he was paying. I couldn't let him do that! I didn't care how rich he was, I wasn't going to let him spend a fortune on food for me. It wasn't fair.

''Edward, I can't let you do that. It's too much.'' He looked at me strangely, perhaps how a person would look at a monkey speaking French.

''But Bella, you are my wife. Remember? What's mine is yours and all that. Now come on. There's gorgeous food in there with your name on it, Mrs Cullen.'' He grinned and steered me inside. I was so shocked that he had called me by his last name that I did nothing to stop him. That had probably been his plan. But he'd never called me that before. _Mrs Cullen._ It had a nice ring to it. Yeah, I liked it.

When we were seated in the restaurant I realised that I was grossly underdressed. I should have bothered. But I didn't know Edward would bring me here. My shame increased. I attempted to avoid the disdainful glances of those around us. The glances that stated, _you do not belong here! _As if I hadn't already known. Edward seemed oblivious to the animosity of our fellow diners. He seemed to have eyes only for me. Which was, of course, extremely flattering, but it made me blush ten shades of scarlet. Our waitress came, eventually. I gasped. It seemed that luck was against me today. The woman was gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful. A goddess. Just looking at her made me shrink in my oh so casual jeans and t-shirt. This was Edward's equal. Who he should be with. Someone with the same magnitude of beauty as he did. I wouldn't be surprised if he ran off with her right at this moment. They were a match made in heaven.

''Are you ready to order, sir?'' she asked Edward flirtatiously. She pushed her cleavage as far out as possible as she did so. Save for a withering glare, she completely ignored me. However, to my, and her, utter surprise, he barely glanced at her.

''I'm quite fine,'' he said, ''Bella, what would you like?'' he gazed at me intently, as if my answer was of the utmost importance. The waitress glared at me. My cheeks once again began to redden.

''Um,'' I began, ''I'll have a coke and uh, the mushroom ravioli, please.'' I finished, picking the first thing I read on the menu.

''And you, sir?'' she purred at Edward. Again, he ignored her attempts at seduction.

''I'm fine, thank you.'' he replied through clenched teeth. The waitress stomped dejectedly away. Wow. The rest of the dinner was uneventful. Edward held my hand as I ate, and he, didn't. Not a bite did he eat. I wanted to ask him why, but I knew that he would simply try to convince me it was because he had a big breakfast, or he would have a big dinner at home, etc, etc. And I would believe him. But I wasn't giving him the chance. Even though I had imagined him in my room that night, there was still something off about him. And I was going to find out what it was. Come hell or high water, I would.

Edward asked for the check. The waitress seemed to have given up on Edward. Her failed attempts all through dinner seemed to have gotten the message. It took her long enough. Though, she seemed to want to have one more shot at it. I saw her slip a piece of paper into the bill. I would bet anything that it was her phone number. Edward took it out, looked at it, then placed it on the table. He left it there and stood up to go and pay the bill. She had seen the entire incident and her face fell. I almost felt sympathy for her, until she sneered at me. I felt like sticking my tongue out at her, but I refused to stoop to her level. Though, I did get my revenge. As we were leaving, and still in her line vision, I slipped my arm around Edward's waist and told him that I loved him. He looked down at me and smiled.

''I love you too.'' He replied, then kissed the top of my head as he slipped his arm around my shoulders. I looked back to see the waitress with her mouth hanging open. And even though I knew it was childish, it made me feel good. Edward wanted me. Not her. Edward loved me. Not her. So there!

Edward dropped me home. He walked me to my door and kissed me softly. I invited him inside, but unfortunately he said he had to go. He said that he would see me tomorrow. He kissed me once more on the lips and seemingly dragged himself away from me. With one last wave farewell, he slipped into his car and drove off. I watched him go until I could no longer see him. Then I entered the house and leaned back against the front door. I sighed. Tomorrow couldn't come quickly enough. I looked at the clock and gave a small yelp of surprise. We had been gone for hours! Even longer than I had thought. Charlie would be home soon. I had to get dinner started.

I was musing to myself about how I would broach the topic with Edward when I heard the front door open. Tomorrow, I promised myself. Tomorrow I would get my answers. I began to set the table and serve the food when Charlie entered the kitchen.

''Smells great, Bells.'' He said. I blushed and murmured thanks. It was only then that I noticed the two people who had come in behind Charlie. Two men. One pushed another in a wheelchair. The man in the wheelchair was about Charlie's age. The other was about my own, perhaps older. A father and his son, maybe? They were of Native American descent.

''Bella,'' he began. ''I would like to introduce you to Billy black, a good friend of mine, and his son, Jacob.''

**Oohh! And the plot thickens! Kind of a ****cliffy. Not much really happened, kind if a filler. A bit of fluff and happiness for Bella. I figured that she deserved it. Poor thing. Heehee. I wonder what will happen next chapter. Now Jacob is in the picture? Will Edward tell her that he is a vampire? Will she find out about the bet? Will she meet Carlisle and esme? Will she fall victim to Alice and her makeovers? Will we finally learn the outcome of Edward's having lost the bet? What ever will happen? Do you know how you find out? REVIEW!! If I do get a substantial amount of reviews, I will be really nice and update tomorrow. I get the feeling that the next chapter will be worth it! So please review!! **

**Thanks,**

**Kate.**

**Xxxxx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, readers! I promised an update yesterday, sorry. But you only had to wait an extra day! ****Yey! I've only just finished it. So, enjoy! Let me know what you think! Review! Exclamation mark madness! Review! And review! **

**Enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: I own a number of things. Just to mention a few; insanity, an unlimited source of sarcasm and the joke, 'Big shoes.' Well, Sophie owns that too. Anyway, is Twilight on that list? No? Then I don't own it. *sigh***

**Enjoy the chapter. **

BPOV

I extended my hand first towards Billy.

''It's a pleasure to meet you both.'' I said, smiling. However, he did not smile. He was looking at me suspiciously. His son was a different matter entirely. He strolled right up to me and…hugged me. He was huge! I hadn't realised his sheer size until he was right in front of me. I hugged him back, albeit awkwardly, so as not to be rude.

''It's great to meet you!'' He exclaimed. The hug had taken me aback somewhat, but he seemed to be harmless so I replied, ''Yeah, you too.'', with a small smile. Charlie was beaming. I couldn't remember ever having seen him this happy. I looked at these men. These two men that made my father so happy. They were his friends. I had come to Forks and messed everything up so royally. I had gotten married to a complete stranger and then dropped the bombshell upon Charlie within a mere few days. This would be good for him. To spend some time with his friends. It would take his mind off the stressful things in his life. Namely, me.

''Well,'' I said. ''Just give me a moment to set another two places. I'm glad that I made extra.'' I smiled at Jacob and Billy. I didn't want my presence to make either of them feel awkward in any way. However, Billy simply continued to glare at me. I see. I turned to Jacob who was smiling at me so largely that I thought his face just might crack. I attempted to return the smile but no doubt came up short.

I gestured for Jacob and Billy to take a seat, Charlie had already sat down. They did so and I served them their food. They waited until I had sat down to begin eating. The dinner went well. There was talk and laughter, and even Billy began to loosen up. He and Jacob were extremely nice people. It turned out that Jacob was actually younger than me, by a year or so. This came as a great shock to me, due to his sheer size. I was sure that it had shown on my face when I found out, seeing as how they all simply burst out laughing. My cheeks reddened and Jacob began to tease me for it. It was, by all accounts, an extremely enjoyable dinner.

As I was going upstairs to get ready for bed, Charlie stopped me. Jacob and Billy had gone home not long ago.

''Jacob likes you, you know. He's a good young man.'' He said. What? He wasn't going to start this, was he?

''Dad, I'm married to Edward, remember? I love him.'' Charlie winced as I said the words, ''I'm married.'' Too early, perhaps?

''I know,'' he said through gritted teeth. ''And I am not objecting. But that doesn't mean I am accepting it completely, Bella.'' At this, he looked at me, concern in his eyes. ''You don't have to throw your life away, Bella. You're still young. Edward is a fine young man, yes. But you don't need to be tied down at such a young age. Please. Think about it, at least.'' He looked at me pleadingly as he said the last sentence. ''I love you, Bells. Goodnight.'' He finished then entered his room, leaving me alone in the hallway with my mouth gaping wide. That was the longest speech I had ever heard Charlie make. Perhaps the longest speech he had ever made. He wanted me to divorce Edward so I could……play the field? Date as many lads as possible? Something about that picture just didn't seem quite right. It was more probable that he thought I was too young to be married, still thought of me as his little girl. Which was sweet, but I loved Edward. I couldn't divorce him. I loved him. I groaned. Life got harder and harder with each passing day. I slipped into my room and into bed. I fell into a fitful, dreamless slumber, once again under the impression that I wasn't quite alone.

I woke up the next morning, refreshed and ready for the day. Today was the day. The day I would get my answers. But first, research. Perhaps the humble internet could give me some inclination as to what exactly was going on with Edward. Or maybe it would tell me that I was imagining everything, thus mentally ill. Well, either way, at least I would know.

So I set up my laptop and connected to the internet. I brought up Google and began to type. Super speed, super senses, lack of appetite, pale skin. Mind-reading? It all seemed completely preposterous written down. It was there, staring up at me. Teasing me. Telling me how foolish I was. Nevertheless, I hit the 'Search' button and began to troll through the results.

Of course, there was the usual rubbish, advertisements, chat-rooms. Etc, etc. That wasn't what I was interested in. It wasn't what I needed. Just as I was about to give up, the exercise had been completely futile anyway, I had been searching for something that probably didn't even exist, I found something promising. I clicked on the link, and it brought me to a page with a long spiel of writing. But there was one word that stood out. Almost beckoning me.

_Vampire._

The cold hands, the super speed, the super senses, and the pale skin. The fact that he never ate. He wouldn't eat food. He drank blood instead. It even mentioned the strangely coloured eyes. But it said red! Red? His weren't red. They were a topaz like colour. I breathed a sigh of relief. But then I read the next sentence.

_Some radical groups of vampires drink the blood of animals instead of that of humans. Therefore, their eyes are a different colour. A golden type colour. _

Oh, god. This was crazy. But at least it meant he didn't feast on humans, just animals. That was good, right?

_However, it is not guaranteed that these vampires will not attack humans. The desire is still there, they simply attempt to suppress it. But sometimes, the urge cannot be suppressed. _

I felt the blood drain from my face. I was not safe. Nobody in Forks was safe. I was in love with… a vampire? No! I shook my head. The idea was preposterous, ridiculous, insane, crazy, ludicrous, absurd. Edward couldn't be a vampire. The mere idea was…. Impossible, improbable, implausible. I was dubious. It explained a lot of things. I shook my head once again. Stop it Bella! Your so called explanation is impossible! It cannot be true. It's like saying that gravity doesn't exist and the fact that we stay rooted to the ground is the work of little men in tutus and fairy wings. Snap out of it! And even though I knew that the logical option was to dismiss the absurd idea that Edward was a vampire, I simply couldn't shake the sensation that it was the truth.

I was jolted from my thoughts by a rapping on the front door. Loud enough to be heard, but not so loud as to be rude. Edward.

I never thought there would come a point where I wouldn't want to see Edward, but... this was it. I was afraid to open the door and Charlie wasn't here. If Edward truly was a vampire, he would know I was here. I grabbed a baseball bat, not that it would do me much good, super strength. But it gave me some peace of mind. I placed it within my reach and took a deep, cleansing breath. Then, I opened the door.

He was standing there, looking as perfect as ever, his mouth forming a perfectly crooked smile. The website had mentioned that too, inhumanly good-looking. To lure their prey. I gulped. Edward noticed and his smile faltered somewhat.

''May I come in?'' He asked hesitantly. I was unsure, and contemplated for a moment. What would he do if I refused? Perhaps he wouldn't dare to do anything during the day. It would be worse if we were inside, behind closed doors. Wouldn't it? He was looking at me intently, waiting for my answer. I was nothing but a meal to him. A snack. I bit back a whimper. Logic had left and didn't seem keen on returning. I nodded unenthusiastically and walked into the living room. He followed me and sat down beside me on the couch. I inched away from him. The thought of being near him made my stomach turn. He noticed this and looked extremely hurt. It's an act, I told myself. He doesn't really care about you. The thought made my eyes prick. I needed to pull myself together. I had no proof. It was all conjecture, and a website that gave me the information I wanted. Probably created by some twelve year old with nothing better to do. Purely coincidental. This thought calmed me. I would go to the bathroom, pull myself together, then apologise to Edward for my behaviour. Then, everything would be fine.

I smiled at him and his eyes lit up. ''Please excuse me.'' I smiled.

''Of course.'' He replied, grinning. The sight made my stomach flop, in a good way this time. I made my way up the stairs, thinking to myself, Vampire? Pshh! Ridiculous. I went into the bathroom and attempted to tame my wild hair. No such luck. I sighed. It would have to do. Fortunately, my decent night's sleep had eliminated the bags under my eyes. There was a smiling girl in the mirror facing me. She looked happier and healthier than I could remember. I smiled even larger. I was so silly. Vampire. The mere thought made me laugh. I brushed my teeth vigorously. Perhaps, too vigorously, my gums began to bleed. I took that as my cue to stop. I wiped the blood away with the sleeve of my shirt and rushed out the door. Back to Edward. In my haste I ad forgotten how clumsy I was, therefore I didn't take my usual precaution. I tripped and went sailing down the stairs. I closed my eyes, preparing for the impact which, never came? I opened my eyes to see that I was being cradled in Edward's arms. He wasn't there when I had fallen. There was no way he could have gotten out here in time. And, yet, he did.

_Super speed. _

The words swam around in my mind and I paled. Here I was, in Edward's arms. I would be unable to escape. His eyes were filled with concern, but that could be feigned. Or maybe he didn't want his dinner damaged. His nostrils flared and his eyes went wide.

''You're bleeding!'' He exclaimed. Normal people could not smell blood. I jumped out of his arms and launched for the baseball bat. I must have surprised him because he made no move to stop me. I brought it up as quickly as I could and hit him over the head with it as hard as physically possible. The bat….snapped? In half. The wood splintered and broken. And Edward? He was still standing, an inquisitive look upon his face. He should be dead, or at the very least unconscious. But no, he was still standing, not a bother on him. I began to tremble. Now, now he would kill me. He must know that I knew. Goodbye cruel world, I barely knew thee. I opened my mouth, with all intention of screaming bloody murder, when I felt a strong hand clamp down upon it. Maybe it would be better this way. If I was to scream, then someone would come to investigate and they would be involved too. Edward would most likely kill them too. I struggled against his grip. Maybe I could get away. Unfortunately, he was much too strong. His arms encircled me tightly, as if to embrace me. I knew that the end was near. Maybe I would be lucky, and it would be quick. As painless as possible. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly as I felt his mouth descend towards my throat, my pulse going a mile a minute. I waited for the searing pain that would erupt as my life source flowed rapidly from my veins to sustain this…leech! But it never came. I opened my eyes, confused. Was he toying with me? I could feel his breath in my ear.

''You know, don't you.''

**Oohh****, another cliffy. Do you hate me? Heeehehehee. I promised an update for yesterday, but I was having difficulty writing it. Well, it's written now and I will soon start on the next chapter. It wasn't that long a wait. Was it? I only got like 4 reviews for last chapter. So please review loads for this chapter. It's the only way to find out what happens next. I love cliffies! Well, in my own stories at least. Now if you just cannot wait for me to post the next chapter to find out what happens next, a sneak peek of it will be posted on my blog later on. **

http://elliotandjd4eva1sblog (dot) blogspot (dot) com/

**Check it out. Until next time. Review and give me the incentive to update more quickly. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

**Thanks, **

**Kate**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, think of this as chapter 11: part 1. That's why it's so short. Sorry! I promised a faster update than this. But I didn't get the chance so I'm posting what I have written so far to make up for it. I'll add to it when I get the chance. So maybe if you're reviewing, use the anonymous option under your penname. **

**Enjoy. And review. **

**Disclaimer: twilight is not mine. **

**Short and sweet. And, unfortunately, true. **

BPOV

''You know, don't you.'' I knew exactly what he was talking about. But why wasn't he sinking his teeth into my flesh? Was he simply prolonging the whole thing? To make it all the worse for me. To take the time to laugh at my foolishness, to think that he actually loved me. I looked at him cautiously. When I did, I dared to hope. He had the look of... a broken man. His face was completely resigned. But his eyes, his eyes were pleading. I began to hope. Maybe he would not actually kill me. Maybe he really did love me.

When Edward saw the change in my face, the newfound hope, he too began to look hopeful. I began to feel guilty, and ashamed. He looked so... Vulnerable. I had no doubt in my mind that he was, indeed, a vampire. But perhaps, just maybe, he really did feast on animals and had no desire to drink the blood of humans. That would not make him a monster. It would be just like eating meat. Maybe everything hadn't been a lie. Maybe he did love me. Feel the way that I did. Maybe it hadn't all been a lie. Just maybe.

I reached out my hand tentatively and touched his cheek. Barely a graze. His eyes closed as he leaned into my touch and groaned. My confidence rose and I began to stroke softly. I became more and more sure that he would not hurt me. He'd had every opportunity since we met, but had never done anything. His eyes were still closed when I asked nervously, ''Edward, you're not going to kill me, are you?'' My voice wavered and broke. Tears began to leak from my eyes. I didn't want to die. At the hands of the man I loved, no less. He looked at me, right into my eyes. I felt that I could see right into his soul, and what I saw scared me. What I saw was a fragmented soul, the soul of a tortured man. And even though he could kill me without a second's thought, my heart ached at the sight.

''Bella,'' he choked out. ''I would never hurt you. Ever.''

And that broke me. Those simple sentences. The expression on his face. Everything became all too much for me. My hand slowly cradled his head as I looked into his eyes. His eyes gazed at me through a mop of hair. He looked so... vulnerable. Innocent. How could I have believed that Edward was bad? What he was did not determine what he _was._ I was sure that there were evil vampires, but I could say with near certainty that Edward was not one. His head turned from mine and he avoided my gaze.

''I'm a monster.'' His voice broke. ''I'm sorry, Bella.''

Then he ran. He was gone so fast that I didn't even notice what he had done until he was gone. Super speed, they weren't exaggerating.

His exit left me feeling...hollow. It was strange. Just moments before, I had feared for my life because of this man. Now, the thought of being apart form him had my heart aching. I truly loved him.

The day dragged by agonisingly slow. Edward had left and I had no idea where he was. After his hasty exit, I had run out after him, but he was long gone. I didn't know where he lived. I had no idea where he was. I felt completely helpless. I needed to talk to him. We had to discuss this. Whatever _this _was. I couldn't accept it. It was completely surreal to me. Like a dream. Vampires. Something from an uninventive nightmare, not something that occurred in reality. Their mere existence defies logic. They couldn't be real, could they?

Later on in the day, Charlie came home. He had visitors; Jacob and Billy were here once again. Maybe their presence would help to take my mind off of Edward. I needed a distraction. Badly. But something strange happened when Billy and Jacob entered the house. Jacob's nostrils flared and then wrinkled in disdain, as if he had smelled something bad. Billy looked at me knowingly. I had absolutely no idea what that was about. Had the world gone completely insane? Or was it just me?

The entire evening dragged. My mind refused to empty itself of thoughts of Edward. There was also and air of tension in the room. I didn't know the reason for its presence, but it lifted as soon as Billy and Jacob left. I didn't know what to say to Charlie. He had noticed the tension too. He didn't seem to know the reason for its presence either. I said a vague goodnight to Charlie and went up to bed. It was early yet and I doubted that I would fall asleep. However, that was exactly what I did.

My sleep was restless and full of dreams concerning fangs and bats and crimson blood. Basically everything Hollywood had conjured up to depict vampires. At least they had gotten the whole blood-drinking aspect right. When I woke up, I was confused as to the reason for my waking. It wasn't something that usually happened. I didn't make a habit of waking up in the middle of the night.

A loud tapping on my window reminded me. I stood tentatively and approached the window. There was a face. I bit back a scream and looked closer. It was Edward. He motioned for me to open the window. I did so reluctantly. I still wasn't sure whether or not I was still asleep. I looked at him curiously as he climbed in.

''It was locked this time.'' He shrugged. What? This time?

''Bella,'' he continued. ''I need to talk to you.''

**Another cliffy. I think I might be getting threats soon. Am I right? Well, review. I'll get the next bit up ASAP. Don't forget to review! Edwards to all of my reviewers! **

**Thanks, **

**Kate. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Another update. Do I rock, or what? Say yes! Please! Nah, only messing. You don't have to lie. But you do have to review. So review. Oh, and enjoy the chapter. **

**Me: Evidently, you don't believe me. Edward, tell the nice people. **

**Edward: *rubs hands together gleefully* She doesn't own Twilight. Mwhahahahhah. **

**Me: Cruel. So very, very cruel. But, unfortunately true. Now, I'm going to listen to music and read to cheer myself up. By the way, Edward's up for rent. A tenner per hour. **

**Edward: Hey! **

**Me: Shut up! Any takers? **

BPOV

''What do you mean, this time?'' Yes, it seemed like a strange question to ask under the circumstances. I should have asked him what he was doing there. Or perhaps demanded an explanation about the whole vampire subject. Or maybe I should have simply told him to get the hell out. That I wanted a divorce and to never see him again. But I didn't do any of these things.

''What do you mean, this time?'' I repeated, with more force the second time. He just stared at me. Apparently, he could not fathom why I would ask such a question either. I wanted to know! It couldn't be what I thought, could it? If so, he had allowed me to believe that I was going insane. How could he? ''Well,'' I insisted. ''Have you ever been in my room before now? Well, have you?'' I glared at him, waiting for a response. His head fell forward, giving me all the answer I required.

''How dare you?'' I exclaimed. ''And then. And then you allow me to believe that it was my imagination? That I'm going insane? That it never even happened?!''

He shifted uncomfortably as his hair fell into his eyes.

''I'm sorry,'' He mumbled. ''I shouldn't have come. I should go.'' Oh, no he didn't. I wasn't going to let him simply run away again. I reached out before he could move and clutched the sleeve of his shirt.

''You're not running away from me again,'' I growled. ''You're going to stay right here and give me the explanation that I deserve.''

He looked back at me, attempting to gauge whether I meant what I had said. I met his gaze and used my eyes to communicate the fact that I was deathly serious and so would not retreat. Apparently, he realised this as he sighed in a defeated manner.

''Okay.'' Then he began.

''As you already know, I'm a vampire. Now, please, don't interrupt me. I'm going to explain things fully and I need you to wait until I'm finished to say anything. Okay?'' He looked at me questionably as I nodded feebly. He sat down on my bed and gestured for me to do the same. I did so. He heaved a sigh and ploughed onwards.

''Okay, as you know, I am a vampire. But not in the traditional sense. My family and I are, I guess you could say, vegetarians. We do not feed on the blood of humans, instead we feed upon animals. Hence the colour of our eyes. The majority of vampires find our way of life somewhat strange. They do not value human life. However, we do. Our eyes are the colour they are, a sort of golden-brown, because of the fact that we feed upon animals. If we were to feed upon humans, they would be red. We do not wish to be monsters. I do not wish to be a monster. Alas, simply wishing and hoping does not change what is. It just _is. _I love you Bella. I am in love with you. You are my mate.'' What? Mate?

''I will understand if you wish to have nothing to do with me. If you think me an abomination. I will understand. Just say so and I will leave, never to be seen again. I promise.'' He looked at me then, for the first time since he had began his speech. And I knew then. I knew. I couldn't stop myself from loving him any more than he could stop himself from being a vampire. It was like he said. It just _is. _My love for him just _is. _The fact that he was a vampire could not change that. Nothing could change that. Which was the reason for my doing the following. He had averted his gaze and was waiting miserably for my rejection and disgust. I reached out slowly and stroked his hand. He looked at me, surprised. And when our eyes connected, everything slipped away. All the little worries. Gone. And it was just the two of us in our own little world.

My arms wound themselves around his waist of their own accord. I rested my head in his chest as I felt his arms wind themselves around my waist in response. He moved me gently so that I was lying down on the bed. He attempted to detach my arms from him, but to no avail. He seemed to accept that I wasn't going to let go of him anytime soon because he lay down beside and tightened his arms around me. It felt...right. Him, lying there with me.

''I don't think you're a monster, Edward. I love you.'' I said into his chest. Then I drifted off into the oblivion of unconsciousness.

I woke up the next morning with a large smile on my face. It was the best I had slept in I didn't know how long. I stretched and remembered that today was Monday, which meant school. Yey. Not. It was only then that I noticed Edward's absence. Where had he gone? I heard Charlie's stomping about outside the door, an obvious effort to wake me up. I guess his presence had something to do with it. I hardly wanted my father to walk in on my husband and I in bed. That, I feared, would not go down well. I saw something out of the corner of my eye. A note! Written in the most elegant scrawl I had ever seen. The type of writing that people would learn in the nineteen-hundreds. Just how old was Edward?

_Bella, _

_I had to leave as your father woke up. As soon as he leaves, I will be outside with the Volvo so that we can go to school. If you have reconsidered your decision, I will most certainly understand. _

_Eternally Yours, _

_Edward._

I could hear Charlie readying himself for the day ahead and knew that I didn't have much time until Edward would arrive. So I ran around my room like a headless chicken, getting ready. When I heard the door slam close, signalling Charlie's leave, I had just pulled on my jeans. So I stumbled down the stairs, pulling on a jumper and my socks. For some strange reason I did not plummet to my death. Fate must be on my side today. I had just pulled on my shoes when I opened the door to see Edward standing there in all his glory. I bet he never ran out of time while he was getting ready. He smiled at me, causing my heart to flop in my chest once again. Something I did not have time for.

''Give me a sec.'' I gasped breathlessly and ran for my jacket.

''Whoa,'' he said. ''It's okay. We're not going to be late.'' He grinned yet another knee-buckling grin. Just the sight of it made me wonder how I could have thought of him as a monster, even for a second.

But I needed more information. He had told me the bare minimal, I knew. I had gotten more off the website than I had gotten from him. And what did he mean, I was his mate?

I didn't immediately launch into my questions. I waited until we were in the car for that.

''So,' I began. ''Tell me more. About vampires, I mean.'' His jaw seemed to clench. He hadn't thought that I would be satisfied with what he had told me, had he? Apparently so.

''Bella,'' He said through gritted teeth. ''You know what you need to know. Actually, more than you need to know. Any more information could put you in grave danger. Do you not realise that?'' He gazed at me intently, attempting to convey the seriousness of the situation. He was worried. As foolish as it sounds, my heart fluttered. He really cared about me. But he couldn't hide what he was from me. I needed to know. I loved him; he had to share with me.

''Please,'' I whined, sounding for all the world like a spoiled, little brat. It seemed to make him cave though.

''Fine,'' He groaned. ''One question. But make it quick.'' I noticed that he increased his already frightening speed, under the illusion that I would let it drop once we arrived at school. Silly boy.

As I had only one question, I chose the one that pertained most particularly to us.

''What did you mean when you called me your 'mate'?'' I asked. Apparently he had not been expecting this question and seemed embarrassed. ''You promised.'' I added. He sighed.

''Fine,'' He said. ''Vampires have mates. Soul mates, as humans call them. A vampire's mate is the person that they will love for all eternity. You are my mate. Now, we're here. Time to go into school.'' I hadn't even noticed that we had arrived at the school. He had told me that he would love me. For eternity? And he'd said it like it was possible. Just how long did vampires live for?

I got out of the car and Edward slipped his arm around my waist as he kissed my hair. ''Edward,'' I started, but he cut me off.

''One question, remember?'' He smirked at me.

''Fine.'' I huffed. ''But you will answer my questions!''

''You keep believing that, Bella.'' He chuckled.

Oh, believe me Edward, I will.

**Well, not exactly a cliffy. You must be so disappointed. Well, that was chapter 11 part 2. I hope you enjoyed it. As always, review! ****Who's gonna review? Until next time!**

**Thanks**

**Kate.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay. I had computer trouble. I hope you enjoy the chapter and review! Thanks to everyone who has.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. SM has that honour. **

BPOV

The entire day, Edward avoided answering my questions. It didn't seem to matter what I did, he always seemed to find a way to worm out of giving me the answers I deserved. By the time school was over, I was completely exasperated. We both slipped into the car and began the drive back to my house. I decided that I would not talk to him. He wouldn't tell me what I wanted to know, why should I talk to him? Childish, immature? Yes. Effective? Also yes. I stared out the window silently and fumed. I could feel Edward's eyes on me, when they should really be on the road. However, I would not break my silence to tell him to watch the road. Anyway, with his superior senses, nothing bad could possibly happen. Stupid vampire.

We arrived at the house and I stormed out of the car, slamming the door shut behind me. I thundered through the front door and slammed it undoubtedly right in Edward's face. I made my way into the living room and flopped down onto the couch, arms crossed over my chest and a perpetual scowl fixed to my facial features. I was being childish, I knew, even ridiculous. I just couldn't seem to hurt myself, here I was, practically risking my life just to be with him and he didn't even trust me. I had placed my life in his hands, because I loved him with all my heart. And he couldn't even trust me enough to tell me a few simple facts about his existence. I could feel my eyes brimming with tears, threatening to overflow. The first traitorous tear rolled down my face as Edward entered the room, his features full of concern. The first tear opened the floodgates and it seemed that all the moisture in my body began to cascade down my cheeks.

He was next to me in a flash, literally, bent to my level with his arms wrapped around me. I buried my face in his shirt and waited for the tears to subside. ''I'm s-s-sorry.'' I hiccupped. He placed a finger on my lips and shushed me, all the while rubbing soothing circles on my back. I loved him so much at that moment and loathed myself for allowing my hormones to get the best of me and cause him worry. I was being so unreasonable and he was simply taking it in his stride. For the millionth and one time I realised just how undeserving I was of him and was filled with a heart-wrenching fear that he would realise the same thing.

His fingers began to stroke my face, my cheeks, and my lips. He used his fingertips to dry my tears, wiping them away as he gazed into my eyes with such love and adoration I was afraid I would physically melt. How could I have ignored him, been angry with him? His gaze lowered to my lips and his tongue darted out to moisten his own. My gaze to dropped to his and I became fixated with that image. His head began to lower until it was impossibly close to my own. I could taste his breath in my own, just the movement of breathing would connect our lips. We both stayed still for a moment, what felt like an eternity. Then, suddenly, his lips connected with my own and I felt fireworks erupt into my vision.

Though we had kissed before, it somehow felt like the first time, the first proper time. My first proper kiss. At first, it was soft and gentle. His lips moved against my own while he stroked my cheek. My own lips were only too happy to oblige and moved against his. Then, my hands entwined themselves in his hair and he began to push me back on the couch. The kiss began to deepen and I could feel his tongue slip into my mouth, causing me to let out a humiliating moan. I could feel him smile against my lips in response to this. He pressed me further into the couch and before I knew it, he was laying on top of me, his body flush with my own. There was a strange sensation in my abdomen, like a knot tying. As Edward kissed me harder, the knot began to get tighter. I pushed myself against him, attempting to get some sort of relief. But it just kept getting tighter and tighter. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It felt...amazing. Edward's hands began to descend and landed on the hem of my shirt. I gasped when I felt his hands slip underneath. He had never done anything like that before. I then remembered our wedding night. Well, none that I could remember.

Edward's lips were still connected to my own and I decided that I would do a little exploring of my own. His magical hands were stroking the sensitive skin just above my shirt hem but I could feel his hand creeping upward. Anticipation bubbled inside of me. My hand snaked around his waist and under his shirt. I allowed my hands to travel up and down in chest and back, revelling in the feel of the contours. He groaned at my touch. The sound made me shiver, in a good way. Then, I tried to remove his shirt. And he froze.

His lips no longer moved against my own and he halted his actions beneath my shirt. I looked up at him worriedly. What was wrong? In the next split second, he was off of me and on the other side of the room. His fingers were raking through his hair furiously and he was shaking his head. ''I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so, so sorry.'' He said this repeatedly. I was confused. Did he wish that hadn't happened? Did he not enjoy it? My thoughts must have shown on my face, because he was in front of me in the next second. He grasped my hands.

''I didn't mean it like that Bella. Of course I enjoyed it.'' He looked embarrassed at this. ''A little too much if I may say so myself.'' He continued. He gazed into my eyes, willing me to understand. ''I might've hurt you Bella. You're so fragile. I cannot allow myself to lose control around you. I love you too much. And to be completely honest, on the track we were on, my keeping control was about as likely Emmett making a joke that is actually humorous.'' That made my mouth twitch and his crooked smile mad me melt. He looked at me expectantly, hopefully.

''Okay.'' I accepted. ''We have to be careful.'' He breathed a sigh of relief, that I had accepted this factor in our relationship so simply.

''But there's one thing I don't understand.'' He gestured for me to go on.

''The morning after we were married. When I woke up, our clothes were strewn around the room. And, uh, it looked like, you know, we uh…'' My cheeks were burning. I wasn't able to say it out loud. But he understood what I meant. He had to. It was painfully obvious. I looked up at him cautiously. He seemed to have paled, which I knew was impossible. But the colour of his skin seemed whiter than usual. Intriguing.

''Bella,'' He began with a gulp, his Adam's-apple bobbing nervously. ''There's something I need to tell you about that.''

**Was that extremely evil of me? ****Heehee! What ever will happen next? Review to find out. Or PM me. I might be feeling generous and send you a sneak peek. **

**Thanks, **

**Kate.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I apologise for the delay. I've had a lot of homework for the Easter holidays, plus study. I hope you enjoy the chapter and the fact that it is longer than usual makes up for the delay. I have a one-shot, His golden eyes, posted for a contest. Check it out and review. Enjoy the ****chapter. Don't forget to review! **

**Edward: Why am I the only character that you use for Disclaimers? **

**Me: Because you're pwetty! *Drools***

**Edward: Ugh, you disgust me. **

**Me: Tsk, tsk. That wasn't very kind. I'm going to chase you now with a large net.**

**Edward: No, don't! Wait, I know how to stop you. You don't own Twilight. Stephanie Meyer does. Hah. **

**Me: That was low. **

**Enjoy! And let me know what you think! **

BPOV

''Bella,'' He began with a gulp, his Adam's-apple bobbing nervously. ''There's something I need to tell you about that.''

''Yes?'' I probed. I wanted to know what had happened.

''Well,'' He stalled. ''I...uh...I.'' He struggled for a moment to find the words. Then he sighed.

''Bella, we never slept together.'' He said finally. So, I was still a virgin? I couldn't help but feel a certain relief at the knowledge. I loved Edward with all my heart, but I didn't want the first time I made love to be a drunken mistake that I couldn't even remember.

But, if nothing had happened, why was I naked when I awoke? Unless… Edward had undressed me to make me believe that something had happened. Why would he do such a thing? Why would anyone do such a thing? I looked at him sharply, my question written clearly across my features.

''Well,'' I said. ''If nothing happened, then why were our clothes strewn so haphazardly around the room? Well, Edward?'' He gulped once again, looking embarrassed.

''Well,'' He said, eyes cast downward. ''You, uh, some might say. That you, uh, ahem. Well, uh…'' His voice trailed off pathetically, leading absolutely nowhere. Did he honestly believe that I would leave it at that? Honestly? Apparently so.

''Edward,'' I ground out, between clenched teeth. ''Tell me what happened, now.'' He shifted under my gaze, undeniably uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and finally, finally, spoke.

''Well,'' he said, once again. ''You, well, uh, you threw yourself at me. And I, um, got carried away. But I regained control in time.'' I felt my cheeks redden. How embarrassing! I had wanted him to answer me, but now I wish he hadn't. I had thrown myself at him, like a common whore. How humiliating. And he had rejected me. The thought made my throat ache.

I felt myself fall back against the couch with a soft thud. Edward was clutching my hands. ''It's okay,'' He soothed. ''It's okay. You weren't yourself, Bella. It was too dangerous.'' He continued. But I only heard the part about my not being myself. It was true. He had said that I was drunk. That I had insisted upon alcohol consumption. It hadn't sounded like me, but I had believed him. I had entertained the thought of him having slipped me something in my drink, and then shook it away, dismissing it as impossible. That I would have seen any attempt. That had been before I had realised the extent of Edward's abilities. Vampires could not become drunk, they did not consume what they deemed, ''Human food''. Only blood. I was quite certain that alcohol fell under the category, ''Human food.'' Not blood. His story made no sense. Absolutely none. He was still speaking. But I didn't hear the words he was saying. Concern and love shone in his eyes. But how could I believe what I saw. It seemed that, from the very start, our relationship had been nothing but deceit. To be quite honest, I was sick of it. I wanted the truth, the entire truth. And I wanted it right now.

''Edward.'' I interrupted him. He stopped speaking and looked at me intently. No doubt the seriousness of my tone had caught him off-guard.

''Yes?'' He answered warily.

''I want to know what really happened the night we were married. You said that we were drunk. Maybe I was, I can't remember a thing. But you couldn't have been. To the best of my knowledge, the only thing vampires drink is blood. I want the truth, now.'' I tried to sound intimidating, I really did, but I doubted that the most intimidating person in the world would intimidate a vampire. Something about the fact that they could easily rip a person in two.

I expected that he would squirm, if only a little bit. However, he answered without missing a beat.

''Bella,'' He began, hurt in his eyes. ''The only part of what I told you that was untrue was that I, too, was inebriated. You began to act differently at the coffee-shop. We missed the bus and you asked to go somewhere that served alcohol. I refused, but you insisted. I couldn't deny you it. I fell in love with you upon sight, Bella. You drank and drank, and then suggested that we get married. I was blinded by my love for you, as you were blinded by the alcohol. Thus, we were married.'' He finished, and then looked thoughtful. ''Now that I think about it,'' He said. ''It is possible that someone may have slipped something into your drink while neither of us were looking. Perhaps that is why you have no recollection of the events that transpired afterwards.'' I absorbed what he was saying to me. It all seemed very plausible. I mulled it over while he waited in anticipatory silence. Everything that he had said made sense, well, somewhat anyway. It explained everything that I had wanted explained. Perhaps I had jumped to conclusions. I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. It seemed that I was always jumping to conclusions where Edward was concerned. I wasn't being fair.

''I'm sorry for insinuating that you did something unsavoury, Edward. Please, forgive me.'' I pleaded quietly. I looked up at him. His eyes were tight, his mouth a thin line. He was hurt. I had wounded him with my words. How could I have been so cold, so callous?

''Of course I forgive you, Bella. I love you. How could I not?'' He questioned hoarsely, as he embraced me. I could feel my heart break slightly at the sound of his voice. I had done that to him. It was my fault. Him, the impenetrable, invincible, infallible vampire, he had been wounded because of me. By me. The mere thought made me loathe myself. I was an abomination. Edward held me tightly. I don't know how long we stayed there, in that exact spot. It felt like an eternity. It could have been mere minutes. I didn't know. What I did know was that I would have happily stayed there for the rest of my life.

It was an infinite amount of time later that I heard the front door open. Charlie! The dinner wasn't even started. I shot up from Edward's arms. He stroked my face and cleared the stray tears that I had unknowingly shed whilst in his arms. I rushed from the room to greet Charlie and apologise for the lack of dinner, Edward following at a leisurely pace. When I reached the door, I stopped in shock. We had visitors, again. Billy and Jacob. Edward's arm wrapped around my waist, though he seemed tense. Billy glared blatantly, while Jacob simply looked confused. His nostrils flared and his nose wrinkled in distaste. Then a look of abject horror made a home on his features. He shook himself and a weak smile replaced the expression of horror. Edward extended his hand to Jacob, not bothering with Billy who continued to glare. Jacob took his hand gingerly.

''Edward Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you.'' Edward's expression was polite; however, there was a touch of smugness mixed in. I was so confused.

''Jacob Black.'' Jacob replied, looking somewhat how I felt and, if I wasn't mistaken, a little disappointed. What in god's good name was going on?

I looked from Edward to Billy to Jacob. When I could decipher nothing from their facial expressions, I turned to Charlie.

''I'm really sorry, Charlie,'' I said. ''I haven't even started on dinner. I can fry up some fish right now though. Again, I apologise. Edward and I were, uh...'' My voice trailed off, but luckily Edward came to my rescue before Charlie could become too suspicious.

''Doing homework.'' He finished. ''We were doing homework.'' Right, homework.

''Anyway,'' I cleared my throat. ''Time must have gotten away from us. So, I'll, uh, go get started on the fish. I assume that Billy and Jacob are staying for dinner.''

''Of course.'' Charlie smiled, then walked into the living room to watch television until dinner was ready. Billy and Jacob followed.

I walked into the kitchen and was only somewhat surprised to find that Edward had followed me.

''Anything I can to do to help?'' He offered, knee-buckling grin in place. The sight took my breath away and I lost my balance. Edward was beside me in a flash and steadied me. Well, that was mortifying, I thought to myself. I couldn't seem to at like a normal human being around him. I answered him when I felt that I could trust my own two legs.

''No,'' I said. ''Just please, try not to distract me.'' He smirked.

''I'll do my best.'' He chuckled. The sound akin to that of an angel. Once again, I felt myself wobble, but, fortunately, managed to steady myself on the countertop. Unfortunately, Edward noticed my stumble and was all too aware of the cause and began laughing raucously.

''Stupid, beautiful, perfect vampire.'' I mumbled to myself, then turned to busy myself with making dinner. I contemplated giving a portion to Edward, to see how he would get out of eating it, but decided that it was too cruel. We would tell the others hat he was feeling ill and not up to eating.

I felt his arms wrap around my waist and his lips on the back of my neck. He raised his mouth to my ear and said, ''That's quite the coincidence, Bella. I find you to be quite perfect also.'' He heard me? Of course. Super-sensitive hearing. How had I forgotten? Even so, the compliment brought colour to my cheeks and sent chills down my spine. Though that might have been more to do with the fact that he was standing so close to me, very little space separating our bodies. My thoughts drifted to earlier in the afternoon and I began to feel uncomfortably hot. Bad Bella, bad, I chastened myself. My father, his best friend, and his best friend's son were in the very next room. How could I be thinking such thoughts? Though Edward's lips on my neck weren't exactly helping.

''What did I say about distracting me?'' I mumbled.

''Oh, that,'' He replied. ''I disagree with your view that distraction is bad. I find it to be very, very, _very _good.'' He emphasised each 'very' with a long and lingering kiss to my neck. I withheld a moan.

''Ahem.'' Someone cleared their throat, startling me completely. I turned to see Jacob standing in the doorway looking awkward. I had no idea that he was there. Edward sent a triumphant glance in Jacob's direction. Had he known? Was that the reason for his actions? That made absolutely no sense. I would never understand men.

You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. I cleared my throat in the vain hope that it would dissipate slightly.

''Well,'' I said, somewhat at a loss for words, ''I don't really need much help, but please, feel free to sit down and wait for me to finish.'' I gestured for Edward to do the same. Jacob sat down quietly, dejectedly even. Edward sat with a self-satisfied smirk and crossed his arms, unashamedly watching me as I cooked.

Not long afterwards, I called in Billy and Charlie for dinner. I set plates in front of everyone except Edward. Charlie looked at him quizzically.

''He's not feeling very well.'' I said. ''He doesn't really have that much of an appetite.'' Charlie nodded and dug in. As did everyone else. Edward looked appalled. He stood and pulled out the chair for me. I sat with a blush. He sat and took one of my hands, rubbing circles into the skin. It was extremely pleasant. Dinner was a quiet affair. When everyone was finished I collected the plates to do the dishes. Edward helped me.

''I'm going to bring home the Volvo and then I'll run back, okay?'' He said when we had finished. I stared at him, slightly surprised.

''Only if, that's okay, I mean.'' He backpedalled. I shook my head.

''Of course it's okay.'' I said. ''I'm just surprised. In a good way.'' I smiled. He returned it and my legs, once again, weakened. I leaned heavily on the counter and cursed the gods for giving Edward his dazzling power. It truly was not fair. He leaned down and pecked me on the lips. Short but enough to leave me seeing fireworks. How cliché.

''I'll be back.'' He said, then laughed. He seemed so carefree. It was nice. Then he left and I felt a pang at his absence. Absolutely preposterous, of course. Yet, it was true. I walked into the living room. Jacob and Billy were still here. Jacob seemed..reserved.

''I'm going to bed.'' I told Charlie. The only response I got was a disinterested grunt.

I turned and began to climb the stairs. I grabbed my toiletries bag and went into the bathroom, preparing for bed. I showered and changed into a pair of pants and t-shirt. I prolonged brushing my teeth and hair. When I finished, I waited for a moment. I needed to remain busy or I would be driven crazy waiting for him.

Finally, I sighed. I had to go back to my bedroom. When I entered, I gave a little yelp of surprise. He was lying on my bed.

''What took you so long?'' He laughed. I told him to be quiet and lay down beside him. I hadn't realised how tired I truly was. I was exhausted and drifted into a deep sleep almost immediately.

**NO CLIFFY!? Oh my god! How could I not have a cliffy? I'm so ashamed of myself. Anyway, what did you think? I could've continued, but I'm going to bed and wanted to post. It's longer than usual though. EPOV next? Let me know! Don't forget to review! **

**Thanks,**

**Kate. **


	15. Chapter 15

**It's been ages, I know. I'm really sorry! I hope this makes up for it. Please review and thank you so much for sticking with my story. **

**Disclaimer:**

**Edward: She doesn't own it. Seriously. **

**Enjoy! **

BPOV

I awoke with a ridiculously large smile on my face. I stretched my arms and legs and was disappointed to find my bed empty except for me. Where was Edward? I guessed that he had left to get his car. I took a moment to simply bask in the joy that seemed to be ever present these days. Then, I heard Charlie shout for me to get up and groaned. If I didn't hurry I would be late, and not even Edward's ridiculously fast driving would get us to school on time.

I scrambled around the room, grabbing whatever was closest and clean. I ran down the stairs, only tripping once, and grabbed something from the kitchen to eat. I wrenched the front door open to see Edward waiting patiently, looking as if he had just stepped off a runway. It truly was not fair. He could wear a potato sack and still look like a million dollars. So not fair.

Just being in Edward's presence brightened my mood. I sighed contentedly as I leaned into his arm on the drive to school. Miraculously, we arrived on time. However, there were more people outside the school than usual. At this time people were usually gathering their things for their first class. There seemed to be a large crowd of people gathered around a certain area. I wondered silently what was going on. I looked quizzically to Edward. There was a look of pure horror on his face. Whatever was going on, it was in no way good.

Edward parked the car hurriedly and looked at me intensely.

''Bella,'' he said. ''Stay in the car. Do you understand me?'' I nodded and he took off at a suspiciously fast jog in the direction of all the commotion. I shook myself and chastened myself. I would not stay in the car and wait; I wanted to find out what was happening, and why it was so very terrible. It couldn't be as bad as Edward's actions made it appear. It just couldn't be.

I climbed out of the car and headed calmly in the same direction as Edward. Nothing could have prepared me for the sight I was met with. Emmett and Jasper were stood on a make-shift podium with a megaphone. Edward seemed to be arguing with them, beseeching them. I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying but I could take a rough guess. Judging by the superior smirks plastered to both Emmett and Jasper's faces, and the increasingly desperate expression on Edward's, my guess was more than likely correct. Uneasiness settled in the pit of my stomach. My breaths began to come faster; I couldn't deal with this, not now. Not ever. Anxiety overcame me. I tried to regain control. Edward's expression turned to a mixture of defeat and anger. They were going to do it, they really were. How could they?

I began to wring my hands together as I watched Edward's last ditch attempt to stop them. There was no point. Edward's gaze found my own and I shook my head. His shoulders slumped and he stepped off the podium and made his way over to me. His arms encircled my waist and I buried my face in his shoulder, awaiting the inevitable.

Emmett's voice boomed through the megaphone, quieting the whispers around us. I looked and saw that practically the entire school had congregated by now.

''I'm sure that you're all wondering why we gathered you here today.'' Emmett said. Murmurs of agreement surrounded us. I groaned internally, this was going to be awful.

''Well,'' he continued. ''I think that everyone has noticed the intense romance between my brother, Edward, and the new girl, Isabella Swan. Well, guess what? They got married in Seattle!'' How could he simply blurt it out like that? Seriously? The crowd breathed in sharply at the revelation. The next moment, the crowd was alive with frenzied whispers. Jasper and Emmett smirked at us, mouthed something that I didn't understand and hopped off the podium to hurry to class. Whatever it was they had said, it seemed to anger Edward.

He took my hand and hurried me to the school doors. Like sharks scenting blood, they seemed to descend upon us as one. It was truly horrifying. They were vultures.

''Are you pregnant?''

''Were you drunk?''

''What happened!''

Anguished cries of, ''Why, Edward? Why?''

It was a never-ending torrent. I had never been so happy to enter school. School, with teachers and enforced silence. Truly bliss.

The stares and whispers continued but it was too late to swarm us again. Edward and I hurried to get our books and get to class. When we were seated, Edward took my hand and whispered, ''I'm so sorry, Bella.'' The whole of Forks would know by now.

''It wasn't your fault.'' I replied.

''They were angry with me.'' He said. ''I'm so, so, so, sorry.'' I nestled into his shoulder and sighed, it was going to be a long day.

Indeed it was. Perhaps the longest day of my young life. It was only lunchtime and even Edward was looking haggard. We were sitting at the table furthest from everyone else. I could see Edward's siblings openly laughing at us. We had endured such drama today, I could hardly blame him. Michael Newton had publicly announced that I had betrayed him, subsequently breaking his heart. Lauren had told Edward that he had made a terrible mistake, and should rectify it now, as she would not wait forever. Unfortunately, that was a bare-faced lie. She knew it, we knew it, everyone knew it. To save face after Edward simply grimaced she merely flipped her hair and sauntered off. Events such as these had continued all day long. I couldn't take much more. Why had they done it? Edward had said that he angered them, but never elaborated. He refused to do so.

I rubbed his hand in an attempt to comfort him. He smiled at me and kissed me lightly on the lips. We ignored the collective gasp that went through the cafeteria. It was pathetic really, when you thought about it. That they had such little substance in their lives that they had to live vicariously through the 'scandal' of others. I rested my head on his shoulder and calmed immediately.

''Tonight,'' he said suddenly. ''I want you to meet my parents tonight. Come to my house and meet them. Only if you want to, of course.'' He finished somewhat shyly. It was, quite simply, adorable. I looked into his breathtaking eyes and said softly,

''Yes, of course I want to.''

**Hope you enjoyed it. REVIEW! Please. ****I dare you.**

**Thanks, **

**Kate. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello everyone, another update. Not too long a wait. Enjoy and don't forget to review. **

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

EPOV

It had been the longest day of my existence. Considering the fact that I had been on this earth for over a hundred years, this was not a mean feat. I had expected it, yes. However, was it truly necessary to do it like that? Truly? Of course not. They wanted to punish me. I had lost. They had won, they were taking their prize. It was only fair. I could accept it, to a certain point. However, they had hurt Bella, and that I could not accept quite so easily. Seeing her, so upset at the things that were being said about her, the rumours being spread, was such agony that it rivalled that of the Change. She was ashamed of herself, as if she had done something wrong. She hadn't even had the opportunity to tell her mother, and now the entire town of Forks knew. I just wished that they had done something else. Something else that affected me, but only me. This had hurt her, badly. The thought of her in any kind of pain made my undead heart ache. I wondered briefly what would happen if she ever found out about the bet that had brought us together in the first place. I had told her Emmett and Jasper's announcement was due to their non-existent anger with me. Those were the conditions of the bet. I never thought for a second that I would actually fall for her. How very foolish of me. Edward, who is so very cautious, has fallen in love with a human girl. I couldn't bear the thought of her finding out, knowing about the bet. She would hate me. She would never forgive me. My existence would be pointless. No! She will never find out, I vowed to myself. Never.

How very deluded I was.

BPOV

I was so nervous. I was going to Edward's house, for the very first time. The excitement even managed to take my mind off the fact that everyone knew I was married. The stories floating around the school about us were becoming steadily more absurd. I was pregnant, a slut, a mail-order bride, we were part of a cult, it was some sort of prank, it was ridiculous. Did they have nothing else to talk about? Could they not leave us alone? It had gotten to the stage where I was afraid to go into the bathroom, in fear of being ambushed.

Edward led me to his car at the end of the day with a sigh of relief.

''I'm so glad that is over.'' He breathed. His entire body slumped against the wheel and his mouth formed an easy smile.

''Me too,'' I laughed, the sight of him setting me off. His arms slid over my shoulders and we drove in comfortable silence.

As we arrived at his home, I felt my jaw drop open. That was not a house. Not even the word mansion justified what it was. It was gigantic, massive, enormous. Edward looked at my expression and laughed.

''I suppose that it would have that impression on most people,'' He said.

''Just how rich are you?'' I said breathily. He laughed once again.

''Please, come in.'' He said with an overly-exaggerated bow. He took me gently by the arm and directed me to the front door.

As we walked I could feel the anxiety bubbling inside of me. Edward's arm around me reassured me somewhat. We entered the house into a large entrance hall. It was beautifully decorated, as I expected. Suddenly, a smiling, beautiful woman was embracing me.

''It's such a pleasure to meet you, Bella!'' She exclaimed. An equally attractive man followed and gently pulled her arms from me. It was extremely unfair that all vampires looked so exquisite.

''Let the poor girl breathe, dear.''

''I am Carlisle,'' He said to me. ''And this is my lovely wife, Esme. We are Edward's parents.'' He extended his hand and I shook it.

''It's lovely to meet you both.'' I replied.

Suddenly, Alice bounded down the stairs.

''BELLAAAAAAAAAAAA!'' She shouted. ''Yay, makeover!''

Those words struck fear deep inside of me and I looked at Edward pleadingly for help. He simply smirked, shook his head and stuck his tongue out at me. Traitor!

Three agonising hours later, I was finally allowed to leave Alice's room. I shuddered. It was horrific. She had done my hair, make-up, and nails. She made me wear a tight, royal blue dress with matching heels. Heels that were trying to kill me. Did Alice Cullen not get the memo saying that I was the most clumsy person in the world? She was scary, for a girl of her size. I guess that was because of the fact that she was a vampire.

''Alice,'' I said. ''Can I put my own clothes back on now?'' She looked appalled and shook her head fervently. I sighed. We approached the stairs, and more importantly, in these heels, my imminent death. Surely enough, I had just placed one heel-clad foot on the first step and slipped. I became airborne; I think I actually did a tumble or two. A whoosh of wind later and I felt myself land safely in Edward's arms. Thank god for super speed!

''Are you ok…?'' Edward's voice petered off and the concern in his eyes turned to something completely different. Alice snorted. A gust of wind later and we were in what I assumed was Edward's room. I didn't have much time to look around though, because Edward promptly pinned me against the wall and kissed me until I felt dizzy. I had to pull away for air and Edward's lips travelled to my neck, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

''What brought this on?'' I asked breathlessly.

''That particular shade of blue is very becoming on you.'' He replied, then reattached his lips to my own with renewed fervour.

Perhaps Alice's 'make-overs' weren't so horrific after all. I would definitely be keeping this dress. I wondered whether Alice had anything else in this particular hue. Anything. If so, she would not have it for very long. This was my last conscious thought before Edward lay down on top of me and let out a sound that made my insides melt to butter.

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Should she find out about the bet in the next chapter or the one after that? Let me know in a review! I will update ASAP. **

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to review!**

**Xxxx**

**Kate.**


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm back! I know, it's a shocker. I'm really sorry for the wait. I'm hoping to update ''What if things were different?'' also. Either tomorrow or the next day. Fingers crossed! Anyway, I have a new story posted, yes I know, even though I still have to finish so many! Sorry! Anyway, it's called, ''When One Door Closes, Another Opens.'' It has three chapters posted at the moment. I'd love it if you checked it out and left a review. So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Please review. **

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. Not me. Damn it!**

**

* * *

**

I must have fallen asleep at some stage, for I awoke to light streaming through the wall of glass and Edward's beautiful smiling face. For a moment I simply smiled back at him, completely at ease. Then I started. Charlie! I had spent the entire night at Edward's house without permission or explanation. I had to get home, now, so I could explain. I jumped up and scrambled for my shoes, only to realise that was wearing the outfit that Alice had forced me into. I groaned, I couldn't wear this! Edward seemed confused. ''What's wrong?'' He asked, concerned. I had been heading to the door, intent upon finding Alice, and my own clothes, so I could leave.

His question, however, stopped me. I turned to him and said, somewhat hysterically, ''Edward! I've stayed here the entire night. We're teenagers! You're male, I'm female. And we're married! What the hell do you think Charlie is going to think?'' I ended, finding it somewhat hard to breathe. Perhaps I was having a panic attack. Edward chuckled, seriously, he chuckled! He took me by the shoulders and said, ''Bella, calm down. Breathe! I told Alice to call your father shortly after you fell asleep. She told him you were with her and the two of you lost track of time. She asked for his permission for you to sleep over. He agreed immediately, everything's fine. Charlie doesn't suspect a thing, okay?'' I felt myself relax. All the panic left my body. Everything was fine. Everything was fine. Thank God.

''Come on, now.'' He said. ''We've got to get going. It's tie for school.'' I groaned loudly, more stares and whispers. Great. He laughed at my expression. ''It gets worse. You didn't wake up early don't have time for you to go home and change, so Alice gets to choose what you wear.'' He smirked at me and I could have sworn that I heard a high pitched squeal of delight from somewhere in the house. I felt the colour drain from my face. ''WHAT?'' I shouted. He laughed once again, seeming to think that my horror was the most hilarious thing in the world. Even though his laugh was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, I wanted to hit him. However, I refrained, because I would only hurt myself. It was not fair! Not fair!

The door opened and the seemingly harmless pixie that was Alice skipped into the room, a Cheshire cat like grin on her face. On second thought, perhaps she didn't look so harmless after all. She took my arm and gently, but firmly, steered me towards what I could only assume was her room. I looked back at Edward, willing him to save me, but I could tell from one glance at his grin that he had no intention to do so. Stupid, unhelpful vampire! She led me into a large bedroom and then to a pair of nondescript wooden doors. When she opened the doors I felt my jaw drop. It was impossibly huge and was filled with more clothes than anyone would ever need. Oh, no, this was going to be horrible. Even worse than the night before.

She threw ridiculous after ridiculous outfit at me. After about twenty minutes, she sighed. ''Fine,'' she huffed. ''Have it your way! We need to go.'' Then she threw another outfit at me. I would hardly call it, ''My way.'' The clothes were designer and probably worth more than all my clothes a hundred times over. I sighed. At least it was a jeans and shirt. Even if it was ridiculously over-priced. I put them on and realised that the shirt was somewhat lower a cut than I was used to and the jeans were slightly more snug than my own. She had also given me a pair of shoes. At least they were flats. I would have preferred to wear my own, but I didn't want to push Alice too far. If I did, I was almost certain that she would force me into one of the more ridiculous outfits she had thrown at me.

I left the room to find her waiting for me. She narrowed her eyes. ''Better,'' She said. ''But believe me, next time, you won't get off so easily.'' She continued in an ominous tone. Then she skipped off to who-knows where. I shook my head. She was completely insane. I walked downstairs and found Edward in the kitchen. I looked at him in confusion when he handed me a Pop Tart. ''Breakfast,'' He clarified. ''I got it especially for you, is it okay?'' I nodded. He looked at his watch. ''We need to leave, or we're going to be late.'' I nodded once again and followed him out to his Volvo.

We arrived at the school and hurried towards the doors, in an attempt to avoid the stares and whispers. Why had Edward's brothers done it? Why? We went first to my locker. As I was gathering the books I would need, I noticed that Edward seemed angry, unnecessarily so. ''Edward,'' I said tentatively. ''Is something wrong?'' He seemed startled by my question and for a short moment at a loss for what to say. However, he soon collected himself. ''Wrong?,'' He questioned. ''Nothing's wrong.'' He said this through semi-gritted teeth, so I found it hard to believe him. I raised an eyebrow at him. He looked around us, his jaw seeming to tighten as he did so. Then he looked back at me, his eyes traveling over my outfit, eyes narrowing as he did so. ''Are you cold, Bella?'' He asked suddenly, removing his jacket as he did so. ''Not really,'' I replied. Alice hadn't given me a jacket, but it really wasn't that cold today. It was shocking, yes, it being Forks, but still. This seemed to throw him for a moment, he froze in the action of giving me his jacket to wear. Then he spoke, ''Are you sure?'' Why was he so intent on my being cold? ''Are you certain? Because if not, I could give you my coat.'' He continued. His eagerness for me to take it was almost palpable. I rose and eyebrow at him, but said nothing and allowed him to slip it onto my shoulders. The coat was extremely large on me, the sleeves trailing far past my hands. He rolled them up and raised the zip smoothly. Then he smiled widely and placed his arm around my shoulders. How very odd.

The remainder of the day passed as I would have expected. Lots of staring and whispering. I sighed, when would it end? Edward refused to let me take off his jacket all day long. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. It made absolutely no sense. At the end of the day, I had to visit the bathroom. Edward had been particularly unwilling to leave me alone all day, but I had convinced him that waiting outside the girl's bathroom was strange, so he was supposedly waiting in the car. He was probably a lot closer though. It was sweet, of course, but I wished that he would trust me more. Suddenly, I felt someone tap me on the back. I paled, what if it was Lauren and her crew again. I suddenly felt hopeful that Edward was closer than he had said he would be. Perhaps he would be able to hear me scream.

I turned around and found, not Lauren, but Alice. She was grinning from ear to ear. I felt my heart-rate decrease dramatically in relief. I inwardly chuckled. It was somewhat ironic that I was more afraid of a simple human teenage girl than a vampire. ''Hi, Alice,'' I said as I dried my hands. ''Hello, Bella!'' She chirped, then dropped her voice dramatically. ''Edward's been acting really weird today, hasn't he?'' She questioned conspiratorially. I nodded. ''Do you want to know why?'' She continued. I nodded eagerly. Her grin widened. ''He's jealous.'' She said simply. I looked at her, uncomprehendingly. She groaned in exasperation. ''The outfit you're wearing today. Some of the male population of Forks High are thinking thoughts in response to it that are not exactly to Edward's liking. He's jealous and angry. That's what the coat is about.'' She said, motioning to the garment in question. I felt my mouth form a large 'O'. His behaviour now made sense. The fact that boys had been thinking such things made me blush deeply. Poor Edward, he had to hear what they were thinking. ''Bye, Alice. Thanks.'' ''No problem,'' She replied. Then I left.

As I had suspected, Edward was closer than he had promised. However, he was not close enough to have heard my whispered conversation with Alice. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on the lips. ''I love you, Edward.'' I said. He seemed pleasantly surprised. ''I love you too, Bella.'' Then he kissed my forehead softly. ''Come on,'' He said. ''Let's go.'' Then we walked out to his Volvo, ignoring the whispers, and began the short drive to my house.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to review!**

**Thanks, **

**Kate. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry for such a long wait. A big thank you to everyone who reviewed, story alerted or favourited, as always. You're all the best. I really appreciate it. This is Chapter 18. I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: All recognisable content is the property of Stephanie Meyer. No infringement intended.**

**

* * *

**

BPOV

When we arrived at my house I was surprise to see Jacob's car. What was he doing here. Edward and I walked to the front door, where Jacob was waiting. Was I imagining things, or had he grown since I had last seen him. I shook my head, I was being preposterous. He just looked so much taller, and wider, and so much more formidable. ''Hi, Jacob,'' I greeted him, ''Is something wrong?'' He was scowling, seemingly at Edward. Why, I didn't answer me, simply folded his arms, waiting for me to open the door. Okay. I opened the door and motioned for both Edward and Jacob to follow me inside. As I did so I noticed that Edward was glaring at Jacob. What was going on? There was something that I didn't know, that was for certain. What it could be, I hadn't the foggiest idea.

I made my way into the kitchen, in search of something to eat. I was sure that Jacob would be hungry. ''Jacob, would you like something to eat?'' I asked. He simply shook his head and walked into the sitting room. I raised my eyebrow at Edward, silently asking what was going on. He ignored me and followed Jacob into the sitting room, his shoulders tense. I repeat, what was going on? I quickly grabbed a bowl and poured myself some cereal. I then joined them. I sat down wearily and looked from Edward to tension in the room was palpable. As to what the reason for the tension could be, I hadn't a clue. The silence in the room made me uncomfortable, so I attempted feebly to interrupt it. ''So...'' I tried, trailing off pathetically. It seemed to work though.

''I think you should leave, Jacob. Now.'' Edward said through gritted teeth. His nose was wrinkled in disgust and his fists were clenched at his side. On second thought, I think that I might have preferred the silence. It was somewhat less hostile. Jacob, however, didn't seem to be frightened, not in the least. He remained completely still, except for the fact that he raised a single eyebrow. Then, he spoke. ''I don't think that I will, _Cullen. _I don't particularly want to. And you can't make me.'' The venom he injected into the word 'Cullen' made me flinch. Edward suddenly stood, looking furious. ''I most certainly can make you, _Black! _And you know it! Now get out!'' Jacob simply smirked and said, ''Nope!'' Edward took yet another step forward, looking even more angry. I stood to block his path. He was losing his temper, I couldn't let him hurt Jacob. ''Edward, calm down.'' I said gently. He seemed to shake himself somewhat and looked down at me. ''Bella,'' He said gently. ''He needs to leave. You don't understand.'' Then he gently, but firmly, pushed me out of the way.

''Ah, ah, now.'' Jacob said condescendingly. ''If Bella wants me to stay, you can't make me leave.'' Was he trying to get himself killed? ''Bella doesn't know what's going on,'' Edward growled menacingly. ''Now get out before I hurt you.'' Jacob didn't move an inch. ''Bella,'' He said, completely ignoring Edward. ''I would like to speak with you, privately.'' He said the last part with a pointed look to Edward. I opened my mouth to reply, but Edward spoke first. ''She doesn't want to speak to you.'' Jacob smirked once again. ''Worried about what she might think, are we?'' It seemed that Jacob had pushed Edward too far. Edward stepped forward once again, but did not stop. I could see that he had lost his control. Jacob did not seem frightened at all. He actually looked somewhat excited, was he insane? I grabbed onto Edward's arm. ''Stop,'' I said forcefully. ''I'll talk to him. It'll be fine.'' This stopped Edward in his tracks. ''Bella, you can't. It's not safe for you.'' He looked down at me imploringly. What was he talking about? ''Edward, it's fine.'' Edward opened his mouth to protest but Jacob interrupted him. ''I believe the lady has spoken. She wants to speak to me. So there!'' Edward looked at me and saw the resolve in my eyes. He sighed. ''Fine. But I'll just be in the next room.'' I guess that was the best I would get. Jacob snorted. ''Not exactly private, is it? Don't worry, _I _won't hurt her. Not like some I could mention.'' Edward tensed once again and for a second I thought that he wouldn't actually leave. ''It's okay,'' I whispered. ''It will just take a few minutes.'' He nodded and hesitantly and left.

I turned to Jacob and asked the question that had been floating around my head since he had arrived. ''What is going on?'' He smiled at me, seemingly in a much better mood simply because of the absence of a certain someone. ''It's great to see you again, Bella.'' He reached out and stroked my cheek. The fondness in his eyes frightened me and I pulled away. He sighed and lowered his hand. ''Bella, I know that we haven't really known one another for all that long, but I really do feel like we have a connection, a special bond. Do you know what I mean?'' Not even a little bit. Not wanting to hurt his feelings I said, ''Not really.'' His face fell somewhat, but then brightened again. He took my hands in his and gazed at me intently. I marveled at how large his hands really were, he had grown a substantial amount in the short time since I had last seen him. I didn't know how, but he definitely had. I became aware of how close he really was and began to feel uncomfortable. I pulled away, putting a more comfortable distance between the two of us. He refused to release my hands, however. I could hear Edward pacing in the other room. I silently thanked him for keeping his promise and not interrupting. ''Bella,'' He said in a hushed voice. ''You could be happy with me. He's not right for you. He's dangerous. You have no idea how dangerous.'' What, did Jacob know? If so, how? He couldn't! Could he?

I decided that the best course of action would be to pretend that I had no clue as to what he could be referring to. I wrenched my hands from his grasp and took another step from him. ''I have no idea what you're talking about, Jacob. Edward and I are very happy. You have said your piece and I have listened. Now I would appreciate it if you would leave.'' This seemed to anger him. His entire face darkened. ''Fine,'' He snapped. ''But Bella, you mark my words, he will hurt you. In more ways than one.'' He then turned on his heel and strode from the room. A few moments later I heard the door slam. What was his problem? Edward was at my side seconds later. ''Bella, are you okay?'' He asked, concern evident in his voice. ''I'm fine.'' I said. I was angry, who did Jacob think he was? Really. I looked at the clock and gasped. Edward looked at me sharply. ''What's wrong?'' He demanded. ''It's late,'' I said. ''I have to make dinner.'' I scrambled to get up but, of course, fell. Edward effortlessly caught me and righted me on my feet once again. I blushed and mumbled a quick thanks. ''No problem.'' He smiled. I could see a tightness at the sides of his mouth. The incident with Jacob had bothered him. Perhaps it would have bothered me more so if I had actually understood it.

I made my way into the kitchen and took two pieces of fish from the freezer. I didn't have time for anything elaborate tonight. I quickly set the table and fried the fish. Edward simply watched in silence. It seemed that no time had passed when he kissed me on the forehead and told me that Charlie was coming. Then he left. Dinner was a quiet affair. Charlie wasn't a great conversationalist and I was too wrapped up in my thoughts to make the effort to talk. I washed up quickly and went upstairs to tackle my homework. I didn't know whether Edward would come back tonight, he had seemed extremely distracted. Stupid Jacob! I was feeling agitated and the feeling only grew as the evening wore on. I finished my homework and decided that I would go to bed early. I got ready for bed and was surprised when I went into my room and found Edward lying on my bed, as usual. I hadn't expected him to come, but felt an inordinate amount of relief at the fact that he did. I lay down beside him and wrapped my arms around him. I buried my face into his neck and inhaled his scent. He kissed my forehead and wrapped his arms around me in return.

We talked until I fell asleep, as usual. However, it felt different somehow. He didn't seem to be there completely. Even though I was clutching him to me tightly, I felt that he was pulling away from me, and there was nothing I could do about it. There was a part of him, that just wasn't _there. _And it frightened me. I drifted off to sleep, with the terrible thought that perhaps he had finally realised how unworthy of him I truly was.

* * *

**I know that it's short, but it's an update, nevertheless. I hope you enjoyed it, let me know. Don't forget to review! When will Bella learn the truth? **

**Thanks,**

**Kate.**


End file.
